Impact of COVID-19 on photoresist and high-end photoinitiator products

Many things are scarce when many industries are cutting production or even production due to the pandemic.

But if there's one thing most people are most impressed with, it's the chip. Lack of "core" wave swept the world, affecting more than 160 industries worldwide.

The "shortage" effect also extends upstream. In May this year, Japan's largest semiconductor raw material producer abruptly announced that it would stop supplying KrF photoresist to China. Photoresist is running short again.

What is photoresist? It is the core auxiliary material in chip production and is as important in chip manufacturing process as photolithography. Photolithography takes up about half of the entire chip manufacturing process. The chip industry has added another technology to the problem: photoresist. The chip production industry has a more difficult technology, is photoresist.

Photoresist, the main component is "glue" or resin. The main function of resins is to hold other materials together. The resin can be thought of as a container for other functional materials.

Take the lithography process of chip production as an example. The light on the mask is the circuit design, and the light shines through the mask onto the photoresist, where the light melts. The circuit design is then transferred to the photoresist.

The photochemical reaction produced by the photoinitiator after exposure further reacts with other components in photoresist, which is the reason for photoresist to see photomelting.

The photoinitiator's ability to react to light gives it two major missions: to produce photoresist and photocurable products.

In the photoresist field, the profitability of LCD photoresist photoinitiator with higher threshold technology is better than PCB photoresist photoinitiator.

For profit-seeking listed companies, the return on investment in high-end photoinitiator products is obvious.

The wave of "lack of core" and the events of photoresist supply have made domestic enterprises realize that in order to solve the problem of chip always being stuck, it is necessary to accelerate the process of photoresist and photoinitiator localization.

This is a good opportunity for enterprises in the photoresist industry chain. Who can fill the gap between supply and demand, will be able to stand firmly on photoresist and even chip tuyere.

Opportunities are for those who are prepared.