South Korean photoresist supplier Dongjin Semichem said that it has recently passed Samsung Electronics’ EUV photoresist reliability test. This photoresist is jointly developed by the two parties, breaking the situation that South Korea’s EUV photoresist is completely dependent on overseas suppliers, and is expected to be supplied to production lines in batches as soon as the first half of next year.
According to the latest report, industry insiders stated that “Dongjin Semicon developed EUV photoresist at its Hwaseong plant in Gyeonggi-do and tested it on Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong EUV production line, and finally obtained the qualification.” and He added: “The cooperation between the two companies has enabled EUV photoresists to be rapidly developed at a high level of technology.”
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It is understood that although KrF and ArF fluoride process photoresists have been mass-produced in South Korea, there is no EUV photoresist capable of drawing finer circuits. This is because development is very difficult. Most EUV photoresists used in Korea are imported from Japan.
After Japan introduced export restrictions in 2019, Dongjin Semicon began to use its own infrastructures, such as the existing argon fluoride exposure machine and the EUV equipment of the Belgian Institute of Semiconductors (IMEC), to localize EUV photoresist. At the same time, Samsung provided a EUV test environment and successfully improved the photoresist quality so that it can be successfully applied.
Whether Samsung will immediately use Dongjin Semicon’s EUV photoresist on its semiconductor production lines remains to be seen. Normally, after passing the test, it will be used for mass production. Therefore, some people predict that it will be supplied in the first half of next year at the earliest.
The two parties declined to comment on whether EUV photoresist certification has passed. A person from Samsung said: “It is impossible to confirm with partners whether it has passed EUV photoresist verification” and “we are working hard to diversify semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment.”
