Red Avenue New Material Group recently announced that the company has completed the development of certain models of ArF photoresists, achieving significant technological breakthroughs. The initial batch of ArF photoresists has already met the standards of international photoresist giants. The most noteworthy is that Red Avenue Electronic Materials, a subsidiary of Red Avenue Group, has completed the construction of its photoresist project in Shanghai. It has gradually entered the trial production phase and its product indicators are not only based on laboratory standards but also industrial production standards.
This means that China’s domestically-produced high-end photoresists are ready for mass production, and the demand for related products will increase along with the surge in demand for China-made photoresists. In particular, the demand for products in the BDO-NMP industrial chain, used for photoresist removal, will experience significant growth.
The global photoresist market is presently dominated by Japanese manufacturers, with the top five Japanese firms occupying over 70% of the global market share. DuPont (U.S.) holds 15% of the remaining share. Currently, the domestic production rate of photoresists in China is less than 10%, especially in the high-end ArF and KrF photoresist sectors where domestic manufacturers are relatively weak. However, the breakthrough made by Red Avenue is expected to rapidly promote the localization of Chinese photoresist market. Red Avenue stated during an investor meeting that although direct shipments are difficult within 2023, the company’s products are expected to replace imported ArF photoresists within the next year and a half.
NMP, as a stable organic solvent, also plays an important role in semiconductor manufacturing. It serves as diluent, photoresist removal, and cleaning agent, playing a crucial role in multiple stages of semiconductor manufacturing. As the localization of photoresists accelerates, the consumption of NMP is expected to surge, potentially boosting demand for BDO.
