Japan dominates the global KrF photoresist market and my country’s self-sufficiency is increasing

KrF photoresist is a semiconductor photoresist and is used to make 8-inch large silicon wafers. In the chip manufacturing process, the quality of photoresist directly affects the performance and yield of the chip. The smaller the chip, the higher the quality requirements for photoresist. Among semiconductor photoresist products, KrF photoresist technology content is second only to EUV photoresist and ArF photoresist, and it is one of the high-end photoresist products.

According to the “2022-2026 KrF photoresist industry market in-depth research and investment prospect forecast analysis report” released by the Industrial Research Center Silicon wafers with sizes of 8 inches and above are collectively referred to as large-size silicon wafers. In order to reduce chip manufacturing costs, large-size silicon wafers have become a development trend, and their application proportion has reached 94%. The demand for 8-inch large silicon wafers is second only to 12-inch Large silicon wafers account for 24% of demand. KrF photoresist can achieve 248nm wavelength exposure, and the process process is between 250nm-130nm. Since 7nm chips are currently the mainstream product in the market, among semiconductor photoresist products, the proportion of ArF photoresist applications is higher than that of KrF photoresist applications. The proportion is around 23%.

8-inch large silicon wafers can be widely used in automobiles, industrial equipment, the Internet of Things and other fields. The market demand is large, and the production difficulty of 8-inch large silicon wafers is lower than that of 12-inch large silicon wafers. The industry is mature, so KrF photoresist is One of the important semiconductor photoresist products. my country’s silicon wafer production capacity continues to expand, driving the rapid growth of demand for semiconductor photoresist. In 2021, my country’s semiconductor photoresist market will reach 2.92 billion yuan. At present, my country has achieved mass production of 8-inch large silicon wafers, which is beneficial to the development of the KrF photoresist industry.

The production strength of my country’s semiconductor photoresist industry is weak. Local photoresist companies mainly produce PCB photoresists with low technical content. The annual output of semiconductor photoresists only accounts for about 2%. KrF photoresist is a high-end photoresist. For etching products, our country’s market is highly dependent on foreign countries. However, my country’s 8-inch large silicon wafer production capacity continues to expand. By the end of 2020, my country’s annual 8-inch large silicon wafer production capacity will be approximately 1.2 million pieces. By the end of 2021, my country’s 8-inch large silicon wafer production capacity will account for 18% of the world’s total. . In this context, my country’s KrF photoresist self-sufficiency capability urgently needs to be enhanced.

Globally, Japanese companies dominate the KrF photoresist market. The three major companies, Tokyo Onka, Shin-Etsu Chemical, and JSR, have a combined share of 75%. In addition, the U.S. Dow Chemical also has a high market share, accounting for 11%. In order to achieve independent production, the pace of research and development of KrF photoresist in my country has been accelerating. Currently, relevant companies mainly include Beijing Kehua, Shanghai Xinyang, Suzhou Ruihong, etc. Among them, Beijing Kehua has the ability to supply KrF photoresist in batches, and its products have entered the supply chain of chip manufacturers such as SMIC; Shanghai Xinyang products have passed downstream customer certification and received orders; Suzhou Ruihong products have passed some downstream customers Verification, production line is under construction.

Industry analysts people said that in 2021, the silicon wafer industry will expand production significantly, while the growth of KrF photoresist production capacity is limited. Resist supply is tight. The Fukushima earthquake in Japan in February affected Shin-Etsu Chemical’s KrF photoresist production and restricted supply to my country. Against this background, my country’s KrF photoresist market is out of stock, and many silicon wafer manufacturers have accelerated the verification and introduction of domestic KrF photoresist. Affected by this, Beijing Kehua, the only company in my country with the capacity to supply KrF photoresists in batches, saw its market share increase. In the changing international political and economic situation, domestic KrF photoresist has broad room for development if it is recognized by downstream customers.