Sumitomo Chemical will build an argon fluoride (ArFi) photoresist factory in Korea.
In a press release on the 31st, Sumitomo Chemical announced that it would establish an ArFi photoresist production line at the Iksan plant of Dongwoo Fine Chem, which is 100% owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical. Sumitomo said it plans to start operating the new plant in the first half of 2024. Investment scale and production capacity have not been disclosed.
Photoresist (PR) is an essential material used in the exposure process to create circuits with light. PR varies depending on the light source, such as krypton fluoride (KrF), argon fluoride (ArF), or extreme ultraviolet (EUV).
There are two types of ArF exposure: a dry method using air for refraction of light reaching the wafer and an immersion method that uses liquid with a high light refractive index. What Sumitomo Chemical will be producing is immersion PR.
It is the first time for Sumitomo to produce ArFi PR in Korea, a decision made as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix pursued localization of materials and diversification of supply lines to stabilize the supply chain after the Japanese government's export control in 2019. Prior to Sumitomo, TOK moved its EUV PR production base to Songdo, Incheon, and DuPont decided to build an EUV PR plant in Korea as well.
Reporter Gun-il Yoon benyun@etnews.com