Photoresists: Overview
Why a thin polymer film decides how small chips get
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.A photoresist is a thin polymer film spun onto a wafer that changes solubility where light hits it, so a pattern can be developed and then etched. Each lithography generation needs its own chemistry: g-line and i-line for older chips, KrF and ArF for most nodes, and EUV resists for the leading edge. The market was about $2.9 billion in 2025, tiny in tonnes but critical. Japanese firms (TOK, JSR, Shin-Etsu, Sumitomo, Fujifilm) lead. India has no production; Tata Electronics has signed MoUs with Fujifilm and JSR.
Volume not published; a few tens of thousands of tonnes including solvent at most (indicative) Market value $2.91 billion (2025); $3.24 billion (2026) Growth 11.3% a year 2026-2031, to $5.53 billion; EUV metal-oxide and dry resists growing 12.9% a year Mordor Intelligence via GII Research (2026)Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArF immersion resists (193 nm, most advanced DUV layers) | 31.92% | not publishedbasis | ArF immersion scanners print most critical layers from about 7 nm to 45 nm and many layers even at leading nodes. Chemically amplified acrylate resists balance resolution, sensitivity and etch resistance. Mordor Intelligence via GII (2026) | EUV resists for the tightest layers Multiple patterning with ArF |
| EUV resists (13.5 nm; chemically amplified and metal-oxide) | n/a | not publishedbasis | EUV prints the finest features at 5 nm and below. Metal-oxide resists absorb EUV light better and are thinner; JSR plans its first Taiwan plant to supply TSMC. Mordor via GII (2026); TrendForce (May 2026) | ArF multiple patterning Dry-deposited resists |
| KrF resists (248 nm) | n/a | not publishedbasis | KrF prints non-critical layers, 3D NAND staircases and mature logic; volumes are large because 3D NAND uses thick KrF films. Indicative | i-line for thicker, coarser layers |
| g-line and i-line resists (436 and 365 nm) and packaging resists | n/a | not publishedbasis | Novolac resists are cheap and robust for power devices, MEMS, displays and advanced packaging bumps and redistribution layers. YC Chem supplies i-line resist for glass substrates (2026). TrendForce (May 2026) | Dry film resists in PCB and packaging |
| Ancillaries (anti-reflective coatings, topcoats, rinses) | n/a | not publishedbasis | Bottom anti-reflective coatings and immersion topcoats are needed to make resists work at fine pitch. Indicative | Spin-on carbon and hardmasks |
From raw material to user
- Monomers and polymers Specialty acrylates, hydroxystyrenes and novolac resins are synthesised from petrochemicals; Japanese resist makers rely on Middle East naphtha for over 40% of feed (TrendForce, Apr 2026).
- Photoacid generators and additives Sulphonium salts and quenchers make chemically amplified resists sensitive; some photoacid generators are fluorinated (indicative).
- Formulation Polymer, PAG and additives are dissolved in solvents such as PGMEA and filtered to remove particles down to a few nanometres (indicative).
- Qualification Each resist is qualified for a specific scanner, layer and fab; changes need requalification, which locks in suppliers.
- Coating and exposure Track tools spin-coat resist, scanners expose it, and developers (TMAH) dissolve exposed or unexposed areas.
- Strip and waste Resist is removed after etch or implant; solvent waste is incinerated or recovered (indicative).
Three things to know
- Photoresist is a $2.91 billion market (2025), yet without it no chip can be patterned (Mordor Intelligence).
- Japan's 2019 export curbs on photoresist, HF and fluorinated polyimide to Korea showed how concentrated supply is (indicative, widely reported).
- Japanese resist makers flagged shortages in April 2026 because over 40% of their naphtha came from the Middle East and shipping through Hormuz had largely stopped (TrendForce).