TDK Corp.

History

Year	Detail
1935	Dr. Yogoro Kato and Dr. Takeshi Takei established Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K. in Tamura-cho, Shiba-ku, Tokyo City, Japan.
1937	The company constructed its first plant, Kamata, in Tokyo. Ferrite core was launched in the market under the product name "Oxide Core."
1940	Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K. constructed another Hirasawa Branch Plant in Hirasawa-cho, Akita Prefecture.
1951	Launched Black-and-white T.V. deflection yoke cores in the market. Production of standard-size cylindrical type ceramic capacitors started at the Hirasawa Plant.
1955	The company introduced disc-shaped capacitors called "Ulcon."
1960	TDK introduced its first barium ferrite magnets in the market.
1962	Ferrite heads for magnetic drums were introduced.
1966	Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K. launched the first domestically produced OEM cassette tape.
1968	TDK Taiwan Corporation established. Radio wave anechoic chambers introduced. First cassette tapes for music recording "S.D." launched in the U.S.
1970	The company has introduced Glass-bonding heads for magnetic discs.
1973	Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K. developed High coercivity ferric oxide material "Avilyn" for magnetic tapes.
1974	The company has introduced Switching power supplies and Samarium cobalt magnets.
1976	AVISERT automatic inserters for printed circuit boards with vertical lead components were introduced.
1978	Launched VHS and Betamax video tape products.
1980	The company has introduced Multilayer chip inductors.
1983	The company name changed from "Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K." to "TDK Corporation."
1986	TDK acquired magnetic recording head manufacturing company SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd. based in Hong Kong.
1987	The company has introduced thin-film magnetic heads to Japan.
1988	TDK discovered the Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect and introduced a Multilayer integrated device (MHD).
1990	The technical Center in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, is completed.
1992	Recordable organic dye film optical discs (CD-RS) were introduced.
1994	TDK subsidiary was established in Xiamen, China. And introduced High-density recording M.R. heads.
1998	GMR heads introduced.
1999	TDK developed TMR heads successfully.
2000	Acquisition of Headway Technologies, Inc., a U.S.-based magnetic head maker.
2005	TDK launched Perpendicular magnetic recording heads, TDK Museum opened in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture, and Acquired Amperex Technology Ltd. (ATL), a polymer lithium battery manufacturing and sales company, Lambda Power Group, which develops, manufactures, and sales power supply products.
2008	The company has acquired Germany-based electronic device manufacturer EPCOS.
2009	Development of Ferrite Materials and Their Applications is recognized as the IEEE Milestone.
2012	Dysprosium (Dy) free magnets developed.
2016	Acquisition of Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG, a sensor maker, Hutchinson Technology Inc., a U.S.-based maker of suspensions for HDD heads, and Tronics Microsystems SA, a MEMS inertial sensor maker.
2017	A business alliance with Qualcomm and the establishment of an RF360 joint venture were agreed upon. InvenSense, a U.S.-based manufacturer of inertial sensors, joins the TDK Group. ICsense, a Belgium-based ASIC specialist, joins the TDK Group.
2019	TDK Ventures was established as a corporate venture company.
2022	Business alliance formed by ATL and CATL and joint venture company established. TDK joined the RE100, an international environmental initiative.
2023	Acquisition of Qeexo, Co., a developer of automated machine-learning platforms. TDK started using 100% electricity derived from renewable energy for operations at all Japan manufacturing sites.