Photo solder resists are coatings applied to PCBs which are extensively used in virtually every electronic product today, including a wide range of IT equipment such as personal computers and cellular phones. Prior to this new solder resist, all conventional photo solder resists exhibited drawbacks such as an organic solvent's typical offensive odor and the growing health concerns for operators through the inhalation of solvent vapor. At the same time, stricter regulatory measures are being established throughout the world in regards to organic solvent emissions. To respond to such conditions, solder resist manufacturers have been working to develop solvent-free photo solder resists. Some companies have already succeeded in developing aqueous solder resists, but durability issues and unsatisfactory heat resistance prevented commercialization.

Drawing on the vast technological resources accumulated through the development and production of water-borne paints and photosensitive resins, Nippon Paint succeeded in developing a water-based photo solder resist with performance equal to conventional solvent-type resists. Besides being water-based, this new product is almost completely halogen-free thanks to the use of a new resin having minimal halogen compound content (less than 200 or 300ppm). Halogen is now a major concern as a factor in producing dioxin. During the course of joint product development with Sony, reductions in drying time and exposure time (essential for commercialization) were also achieved. With this new product, pre-drying time is reduced to 15 minutes in contrast to the 20-30 minutes required by conventional resists. In addition, low-intensity exposure (at 150 millijoules in contrast to 300-400 millijoules conventionally required) has been made possible. This significantly contributes to raising productivity and reducing cost for PCB manufacturers.

Along with steady expansion of the PCB market, the scale of the domestic photo solder resist market in Japan (currently 10 billion yen) is expected to increase at an annual growth rate of approximately 5%. In particular, environmentally friendly products are projected to achieve even greater growth, with percentage rising from 5% in 1998 to as high as 80% in 2008 (estimated by the Japan Circuit Association). Nippon Paint's new product is sure to accelerate this trend.

Nippon Paint aims to promote this environmentally friendly water-based photo solder resist in Japan as well as Southeast Asia (mainly Taiwan and Korea), the United Sates and Europe. The market launch will first start with screen-coating photo resist, then gradually expand to include more of the full product range such as spray- and curtain-coating types. Implementing a proactive sales promotion strategy will allow the company to strive toward annual sales of 4.5 billion yen with this product in three years (10% of world market). Once accomplished, the company will aim higher to achieve a global market share of 20% within five years.