Toilet Maker Toto Ramps Up Its Ceramics for AI Chipmakers (1)

Japanese toilet maker Toto Ltd. expects spending in its chip-related operations to make up more than half its total capex in coming years, as it chases new gains from an artificial intelligence surge.

The maker of heated toilet seats and bidets is capitalizing on an unexpected surge in demand from chip gear makers seeking Toto’s expertise in ceramics designed to withstand dirt particles, corrosive materials and high temperatures. A global rush in AI spending is lifting sales of Toto’s electrostatic chucks, which hold silicon wafers in place during chip fabrication, and other materials used in chipmaking.

Ryosuke Hayashi

Photographer: Fred Mery/Bloomberg

Toto will prepare ...