Photoresists: Production route
How resist chemistry changes with every shorter wavelength
What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.Photoresists are formulated speciality chemicals, not single molecules, so the main types are defined by exposure wavelength and chemistry. Novolac-diazonaphthoquinone resists serve g-line and i-line; chemically amplified hydroxystyrene resists serve KrF; acrylate resists serve ArF dry and immersion; EUV uses chemically amplified or metal-oxide resists, with dry-deposited resists emerging. All are made in small batches under cleanroom conditions with long qualification.
Routes compared
| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| g-line / i-line novolac resists | not published (mature nodes, displays, packaging) | novolac resin, DNQ, solvent (indicative) | small batch plants (indicative) | not published | not published | lowest-priced resists (indicative) |
| KrF chemically amplified resists | not published | hydroxystyrene polymers, PAGs, solvents (indicative) | small batch | not published | not published | not published |
| ArF dry and immersion resists | ArF immersion 31.92% of 2025 value | specialty acrylic monomers, PAGs, solvents | small batch | not published | not published | high (indicative) |
| EUV resists (chemically amplified, metal-oxide, dry) | not published; fastest-growing segment at 12.9% a year | organometallic precursors, polymers, PAGs (indicative) | small; JSR plans a Taiwan plant for TSMC (2026) | not published | not published | highest (indicative) |
How each route works
g-line / i-line novolac resistsCresol-formaldehyde novolac resin with a diazonaphthoquinone sensitiser dissolved in solvent; exposed areas become soluble in alkaline developer.
Robust and cheap; limited resolution.
Indicative KrF chemically amplified resistsProtected polyhydroxystyrene with a photoacid generator: light creates acid, which on baking removes protecting groups, so one photon triggers many reactions.
High sensitivity; key for 3D NAND; Chinese makers target local supply within five years (Xuzhou B&C).
TrendForce (Mar 2026); indicative ArF dry and immersion resistsAcrylate and methacrylate polymers transparent at 193 nm, with PAGs; immersion grades resist leaching into water and use topcoats or embedded barriers.
Workhorse for advanced nodes; dominated by Japanese suppliers.
Mordor via GII (2026) EUV resists (chemically amplified, metal-oxide, dry)Chemically amplified EUV resists extend ArF chemistry; metal-oxide resists (tin-oxo clusters, from Inpria, owned by JSR) absorb EUV strongly; dry resists are deposited by vapour and developed in plasma (indicative).
Enables 3 nm and below; stochastic defects and dose remain challenges.
Mordor via GII (2026); TrendForce (May 2026) Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.