Lithography Tools Driving Photoresist Market

The trend towards advanced 193nm DUV lithography tools purchases by semiconductor manufacturers is affecting the product mix of photoresists consumed as well as market shares of photoresist suppliers, according to the report “The Global Market for Equipment and Materials for IC Manufacturing,” recently published by The Information Network.

Purchases of advanced 193 nm optical lithography tools increased from 24% in 2006 to 31% in 2007 to 40% in 2008 on a unit basis as the semiconductor industry has moved toward production of devices at feature sizes 45nm and below. Suppliers of these tools, ASML (Nasdaq: ASML), Canon (NYSE:CAJ), and Nikon, continue to spend vast amounts of R%D to increase the performance of their products while jostling for the leadership of the lithography marketplace.

Surprisingly, 193nm tools are cannibalizing the 248nm DUV market rather than the low-end sector. G,I-line has maintained a 37% share of the lithography market while 248nm tools have dropped from 38% in 2006 to 23% in 2008.

The photoresist market has also impacted. 193nm photoresist consumption on a revenue basis increased from 21% in 2006 to 34% in 2008. But shares are skewed because of the high price of 193nm resist compared to I-line resist, the latter selling for one-tenth the price of 193nm resist. On a unit basis, 193nm resist increased from just 4% in 2006 to 9% in 2008. The large installed base of i-line tools kept its share above 60% in 2008.

On a revenue basis, JSR led the market in 2008 with a 29% share, followed by TOK and Rohm and Haas (now Dow Chemical, DOW). In 2006, JSR held a 23% market share.

Unit shipments of photoresist decreased between 2006 and 2008, but because of the high price of the 193nm products, revenues for the entire sector increased.

Details of the report are on the company’s web site at www.theinformationnet.com

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