Lithography Materials Headed for Upwards Growth
PFAS elimination efforts expected to drive migration to photoresist alternatives
San Diego, CA, August 8, 2024: TECHCET — the advisory firm providing materials market information for semiconductor supply chain resilience — is forecasting semiconductor photoresist revenues to increase by nearly 11% in 2024. Overall semiconductor market recovery is expected in 2024, particularly in the second half, which should drive increased demand for all resists. In parallel, photoresist ancillaries are expected to increase by around 10%, and extensions by around 9%. More details on photoresist volume and revenue forecast by material can be found in TECHCET’s new Lithography Materials Critical Materials Report™.
“Lithographic Materials are driven by legacy uses (I-Line, G-Line, 248nm (KrF)), as these are used for legacy devices, 3D NAND, and for the “not smallest” features of the advancing devices,” stated Dr. Karey Holland, TECHCET’s Chief Technology Strategist. Thus, volumes of these photolithography materials are driven by overall chip manufacturing industry wafer starts. “Advanced lithography (193nm (ArF) and EUV) is also growing with more process steps for smaller features in advanced logic and DRAM.”
Recent pushes in the EU and US to eliminate PFAS-related chemicals are expected to gradually impact future photoresist material compounds. Photoresists that use photoacid generating (PAG) compounds have been qualified and used for many years, making it challenging to switch away to alternatives. While numerous companies and universities are working to develop non-PFAS-related PAGs, current performance is not yet meeting all process requirements. Consequently, defining suitable non-PFAS PAG alternatives and transitioning effectively is expected to take 5-10 years.
The newly released TECHCET Critical Materials Reports™ on Lithography Materials contains details on market and technology trends and supplier profiles. For the full table of contents or to request a sample report, visit https://techcet.com/product/photoresists-and-photoresist-ancillaries/
ABOUT TECHCET: TECHCET CA LLC is an advisory services firm expert in market and supply-chain analysis of electronic materials for the semiconductor, display, solar/PV, and LED industries. TECHCET offers consulting, subscription service, and reports, including the Critical Materials Council (CMC) of semiconductor fabricators and Data Subscription Service (DSS). For additional information, please email us here, call +1-480-332-8336, or go to www.techcet.com.