IT Home reported on December 14 that according to the Korean media The EREC, Japan's Sumitomo Chemical subsidiary Dongwoo Fine Chemical (Dongwoo Fine-Chem) notified South Korean semiconductor companiesIndicates that due to the continuous cost of raw materials and labor**, the supply of KRF and L-series photoresists will **10-20%**.
Note: Photoresist, also known as photoresist, refers to the corrosion-resistant film material whose solubility changes through irradiation or radiation of ultraviolet light, electron beam, ion beam, X-ray, etc.
Photoresist is a key material in the lithography process, which is mainly used for fine pattern processing of integrated circuits and discrete devices.
There are many varieties of photoresists, and the KRF photoresist involved in this price increase is a high-end photoresist, which is one of the main competitive markets for domestic and foreign manufacturers in the future.
Currently, the photoresist market has been dominated by major manufacturers such as Tokyo Oga Industries, DuPont, JSR, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Sumitomo Chemical, and Tojin Semiconductor.
The photoresist industry requires a high degree of specialization, involving complex formulations of resins, photoacids, and additives, which every company treats as trade secrets.
Significant technical barriers, combined with the need for purity and performance from laboratory trials to market production, make the entire product development process time-consuming and complex.
In addition, 1 to 3 years of validation is required to meet customer requirements and line adjustments, making it difficult for customers to transfer existing photoresist companies they work with.
In the face of technical and customer-centric challenges, photoresist companies have strong negotiating power. Recently, the photoresist has triggered a noticeable reaction from the Korean semiconductor industry.
Foundry insiders commented:
In the face of constant photoresists, foundries have no choice but to pass on some of the costs to their customers (fabless companies).Dongyou Precision Chemical's increase in photoresist** may lead to a decline in profitability in the foundry and fabless industries.