Sumitomo Chemical to Expand Evaluation Facilities for Photoresists for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes at the Osaka Works to Strengthen Its Development and Mass Production Evaluation Systems for Front-End and Back-End Processes

Feb. 26, 2025

Sumitomo Chemical has decided to expand its photoresist development and quality evaluation facilities for front-end and back-end processes of advanced semiconductor manufacturing at its Osaka Works (Konohana-ku, Osaka City, Japan). This is a measure to strengthen its systems to develop, and evaluate for mass production, new photoresists for advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as immersion argon fluoride (ArF) photoresists and i-line thick film photoresists. These new facilities are scheduled to commence operations sequentially from fiscal year 2025 to the first half of fiscal year 2026, aiming to win more orders from advanced semiconductor manufacturers.

Photoresists are photosensitive resins used in the semiconductor manufacturing process to form circuit patterns and are one of the key materials in semiconductor manufacturing. The semiconductor-related market is expected to continue its high level of growth, driven by the proliferation of generative AI and the advancement of IoT as well as the expansion of data centers accompanying these developments.

In the area of photoresists, Sumitomo Chemical has established world-class product design and evaluation technologies by leveraging its organic synthesis technology cultivated in fine chemical businesses. Sumitomo Chemical’s immersion ArF photoresists, which represent the Company’s world-leading technological capabilities, are expected to see stable demand growth in line with the advancement of miniaturization and multilayering of semiconductors. Additionally, demand for i-line thick film photoresists, which are applied to high aspect ratio patterning, are also anticipated to grow due to technological innovations in the back-end process of semiconductor manufacturing. It is against these backdrops that to strengthen its development and mass production evaluation systems for immersion ArF photoresists and i-line thick film photoresists, the Company has decided to introduce advanced semiconductor lithography devices* that accommodate higher resolution requirements for the applications of each of these photoresists.

Sumitomo Chemical has implemented a series of initiatives to strengthen the photoresist business, including capacity expansion at its production plants in Japan, the establishment of new development and mass production evaluation buildings for advanced products, and the construction of new lines at its South Korean base. Including this new investment in photoresists, the Company’s capital investments in the semiconductor materials field over the past several years have reached approximately 100 billion yen. For leading-edge EUV photoresists, sales are expanding steadily, while the Company is advancing the development of next-generation EUV photoresists, such as its proprietary organic molecular photoresists. The Company will accelerate the expansion of these advanced photoresist businesses, aiming to achieve core operating profit of 100 billion yen in the ICT & Mobility Solutions sector by 2030.

*Note:
-   Lithography device for immersion ArF photoresists: This device enables extreme miniaturization required in the front-end process when applying thin film photoresists.
- Lithography device for i-line thick film photoresists: This device facilitates deep processing and enables high aspect ratio (thick film and high resolution) patterning when applying thick film photoresists, which are necessary due to the characteristics of the back-end process.

Sumitomo Chemical’s Major Investments in Semiconductor Materials in Recent Years

Contact

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications Dept.
https://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/contact/public/