Shin-Etsu Chemical got its start on September 16, 1926 as Shin-Etsu Nitrogen Fertilizer Co., Ltd. The company's initial main business was the production of chemical fertilizers and lime nitrogen. Since then, the company has grown and diversified its markets across the whole spectrum of organic and inorganic chemicals, as well as precision-specification industrial intermediates and final-use products, while remaining a leader in such fundamental goods of everyday life as polyvinyl chloride Presently, the company supplies peerless high-tech materials in such fields as synthetic quartz, optical fiber preforms and semiconductor silicon. Shin-Etsu was first in the world to produce 300mm wafers commercially and is the world market leader in wafers of all sizes. Shin-Etsu Chemical has become the manufacturer holding the world's top market share in a number of key fields, while challenging for the lead in many more.