DOWA Electronics Materials. Co., Ltd.
DOWA Electronics Materials responds to the market needs by supplying semiconductors, batteries, conductive and magnetic materials, capitalizing on its thin film, high density, crystalline and powder technologies.
Materials we manufacture are used for many home and office products and contribute to everyday life. Our spherical silver powders that are used for electrodes of solar cells have very high sphericity. We also offer surface processing technology that meets a variety of needs. We are the world’s top supplier of the powder and technology, with the supply capacity of 100 tons per month in 2011, responding to the increasing demand. Our gallium nitride epitaxial substrates have less electric resistance than those of traditional silicon substrates, thus reducing electric loss and improving energy savings. Their demand is increasing for use in hybrid cars and home power devices. We responded to the increased demand by increasing our production capacity by six times in 2010. We are now engaged in commercialization of catalysis to purify exhaust gases as our new business venture.
We aim at being the top company in a wide variety of fields, building on our product families that are backed up by our cutting-edge technologies. We also strive to develop new businesses through active investment and contribute to building an eco-friendly society through energy saving and reduction of CO2.
President Akira Otsuka
Address: 1781 Nitte, Honjo-shi, Saitama Prefecture, 367-0002
Employees: 179 (as of the end of March 2011)
DOWA Hightech is a plant that manufactures silver powders for solar panels and plasma displays. Silver is an excellent material for electrodes, as it has low electric resistance and resists oxidization. DOWA’s silver powders are used world wide as electrode materials for solar cells using single crystalline and polycrystalline silicones and we have the top share in the world’s silver powder market. In connection with active implementation of new energy on a global basis, the importance of solar cells is increasing. Under such circumstances, we were quick to expand our facilities and now able to supply 100 tons per month in 2011.
Silver powders have different properties and change their functions, depending on their shapes. For example, fine spherical silver powders are used for solar sells. DOWA’s silver powders have reputation for their variety. We have technologies that offer variety of different sizes of grains and shapes, depending on the application and to enable more than 40 different types of coating. Our proprietary technologies to control grain shapes enable us to supply high quality silver powders with high sphericity and excellent surface quality on a stable basis to our customers.
DOWA has metal recycling plants within each company of the DOWA group. This ensures stable supply of raw materials and enables trial production. In this way we can make speedy development of electronic materials that are rapidly advancing.
Kenji Imai, the Chemical Products Manufacturing Department
Solar energy now represent hope for renewable energy, and our silver powders are used for the electrode of the solar panels. I am very happy that our company contributes to reduction of environmental load in this way. I think it important to improve power generation efficiency and reduce cost in order to disseminate solar cells. Cooperation with our customers is also important.
I value honest opinions and requests from our customers when I develop and manufacture silver powders. We continue testing and trial production within our company to respond to our customers’ requests. I am always thinking of products that can better satisfy our customers. We will continue to further reduce environmental burdens through our silver powders.
We put the first priority on environmental conservation, especially on conservation of water quality. We always monitor water quality; set a stringent standard for discharged water; perform high quality processing of discharged water with reverse osmosis film filtering systems and steam-heated concentration systems; and put the central control system of water quality in place using monitors and an automatic analyzer of water quality.
We also installed the biotope type discharged water treatment facility, as we believe it important for property operating our plants, considering the environment surrounding the plants. We plant hydroponically cultivated plants in the water tank like a pool, leveraging on the power of ecosystem and reducing BOD, SS and nitrogen compounds. The facility not only plays a role of purifying water quality, but also functions as a place to conserve ecosystem where flowers blossom seasonally, killifish swim about and is visited by dragonflies and spotbill ducks. We welcome visitors from local communities as part of our public relation activities to offer them opportunities to gain understanding of our efforts to conserve water quality.
Our Efforts towards Bio Diversity
The Bizen Drainage Canal that lies next to our site is an agricultural drainage facility that branches off from the Tone River. Local people admire it as part of the natural landscape still remaining there. This Bizen Canal is listed in the top 100 rivers in Japan. The members of the Bizen Canal Cherry Club actively participate in its cleaning campaign of the local environment. We joined the club as a member of the local community in 2008 and about 60 employees participated in cleaning of the canal and planting cherry trees. Cherry trees blossom along the Bizen Canal to offer a place of cultural exchange among local people, and in April 2011 the first cherry blossom festival was planned; however, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake the festival was postponed. We strive to conserve nature together with local people to continue to be a trusted company by local communities.
Seiichi Kanazawa, the Environmental Safety Department
When we first started cleaning of the Bizen Canal, we found many strange things such as a motorbike and a safe. At present we participate in the activities through the club as a contact to continue cooperation with local people and to ensure safety of cleaning and planting activity.
We received the Saitama Environment Award, which we longed for. I am very proud of it as a person in charge and I’m sure the award inspires my junior staff who will take over and carry on these activities. We cannot expect visible results in a short span from our efforts for conserving the environment. A long-term commitment is of importance to have good results. I will make and implement an annual plan to hand over the activities to my junior staff. I also think it important for all employees to promote these environmental conservation activities in cooperation with local people.
