Photoresist

according to the industry information of Cinno Research, it is confirmed that Samsung SDI has started to develop semiconductor photoresist (PR). According to the analysis, on the one hand, this move aims to break the monopoly of Japanese manufacturers and realize the localization of photoresist in Korea; on the other hand, from the company's point of view, it can also get rid of the single sales structure of the electronic materials division and realize the diversification of sales.

according to the news of Korean media Sedaily6 on June 2th, Samsung SDI Electronic Materials Division recently put into storage 8-inch wafer exposure and crawler equipment for developing PR. It is reported that under the leadership of Sang gyun Kim, director of Samsung SDI Electronic Materials Development Office, the PR research department has been reorganized and strengthened. The company also hired experts in the field of semiconductor exposure using photoresist through open recruitment.

Samsung SDI's initiative to develop semiconductor photoresist will have a great impact on the localization of semiconductor materials in Korea. As an essential substance in semiconductor technology, photoresist has been monopolized by Japanese manufacturers. Photoresist was also designated as one of the export restriction lists when the Japanese government imposed export control on South Korea in 219.

at that time, Japan only restricted the export of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresist, a material for cutting-edge technology. However, the common ArF and KrF photoresists are monopolized by Japanese material manufacturers. For example, Japan's Fuji Company holds most of the market share and leads the technology in manufacturing KrF photoresist for CMOS image sensors.

since the export control incident in Japan, manufacturers such as TOK in Japan and DuPont in the United States have been promoting the reshaping of the supply chain in order to realize the localized production of photoresist. In South Korea, companies that manufacture photoresists, such as Shimeiken and SK Materials in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, also have localized actions to develop photoresists of various processes. However, many people point out that South Korea needs to invest more capital and manpower to become the hub of semiconductor core materials.

In this regard, some insiders have analyzed that Samsung SDI, which has rich capital and advanced materials research talents, has officially entered this field. If it can mass-produce any form of photoresist, it will be of great benefit to cultivate the research foundation of Korean semiconductor core materials.

In addition, Samsung Electronics, the main demander, is likely to actively cooperate with Samsung SDI for the diversification of material supply chain and vertical serialization of materials. After the commercialization of photoresist products, it will also play a positive role in the sales diversification of Samsung SDI Electronic Materials Division.

Previously, people in the industry pointed out that Samsung SDI Electronic Materials Division is highly dependent on the sales of major products such as SOH(Spin on Hardmask) and Slurry in the field of semiconductor materials, which needs to be improved. In this regard, Samsung SDI Electronic Materials Division not only chose photoresist, but also selected seven major topics to achieve sales diversification.

A related person of Samsung SDI said: "It is right to introduce new equipment to the institute, but it has not yet been determined which products will be developed and commercialized."

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