Coat/develop track (photoresist processing)

BOTTLENECK

SCREEN is a dominant supplier of coater/developer tracks, which must match scanner throughput exactly and align with ASML roadmaps, so mismatches stall fabs.

Applies and develops photoresist, anti-reflective coatings, and hard masks before and after lithography exposure. Tracks must match scanner throughput; any mismatch creates fab bottleneck. TEL and Screen dominate; tight coupling with ASML and Nikon scanner roadmaps.

Automated coater/developer (C/D) tracks applying and developing photoresist before and after exposure; also applies anti-reflective coatings (BARC/TARC), hard masks, and EUV topcoat.

Why the concentration exists

The coat/develop track applies photosensitive liquid to semiconductor wafers before lithography exposure and removes unexposed regions afterward. The coater module dispenses photoresist onto the center of a rotating wafer, then spins the wafer at speeds between 2000 and 6000 rpm to spread the resist into a uniform layer up to 2 microns thick. After coating, the wafer undergoes a soft bake at approximately 100 degrees Celsius to stabilize the film before it enters the lithography scanner. Once exposed, the wafer returns to the track for development, where chemicals dissolve either the exposed or unexposed regions depending on the resist type.[2][3][8]

Supply concentration stems from the technical know-how required to integrate tracks with scanner roadmaps and the qualification cycles needed to certify equipment for advanced nodes. SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions has accumulated over 30 years of technical expertise developing coat/develop tracks for advanced lithography. The shift to extreme ultraviolet lithography has intensified this concentration, as EUV tracks require even tighter integration with ASML's scanner specifications.[6][1]

What the evidence shows

Tokyo Electron holds 100% share of EUV photoresist coaters and developers.

semianalysis.com

RESCORED JUL 2026oligopolyscaling

Who supplies it

Sokudo operated as a joint venture between Dainippon Screen and Applied Materials from July 3, 2006, with Screen holding 52% ownership and Applied Materials holding 48%. Applied Materials contributed approximately 151 million US dollars to establish the venture. Rite Track serves the secondary market, offering refurbished TEL Mark, TEL ACT, and DNS 80 systems along with exclusive product line ownership for SVG 8X and 9X systems. EV Group manufactures the EVG150 coat and develop track configured for 150mm wafers.[4][10][11]

Who controls it

SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions

$3.4B market · 2024source

What it depends on, and what depends on it

The coat/develop track sits between photoresist chemistry and lithography exposure in the semiconductor manufacturing flow. Photoresist manufacturers supply the photosensitive liquid that tracks dispense onto wafers, with Japanese suppliers controlling the vast majority of this upstream material. Japan controls over 70% of the global photoresist market and 95% of photoresists used specifically in EUV lithography.[9]

Where it sits in the stack

Takes in: Photoresist, BARC/TARC, EUV topcoat chemistry, wafers

Sends on: Resist-coated wafer ready for exposure; developed wafer with patterned resist

depends onWet chemicals and electronic-grade acids/bases Photoresists and lithography chemicals

feeds intoLithography systems

view in atlas

What would break it

China has set a target to self-supply 40% of the photoresists it needs by 2026, which would represent a dramatic shift from current dependence on Japanese suppliers. This target reflects Beijing's response to concentrated supply chains that could be disrupted by export controls or trade tensions. Achieving this goal would require substantial capacity expansion across multiple photoresist generations.[9]

Chinese firms have begun making incremental progress toward domestic photoresist production. Hubei Dinglong announced that its ArF and KrF photoresists passed customer evaluations and received orders from two domestic wafer manufacturers totaling over 1 million yuan, approximately 137,000 US dollars. Rongda Company secured approval for a private placement of 244 million yuan, about 33.5 million US dollars, to fund high-end photoresist projects, IC substrate solder masks, and dry films.[5]

The secondary equipment market provides an alternative supply channel for legacy nodes. Rite Track offers customized solutions and enhancements for refurbished systems, processing substrates from 1.5-inch square to 300mm round. This refurbishment ecosystem could help fabs maintain older equipment when new track supply is constrained or when leading-edge capacity is prioritized for advanced nodes.[10]

What to watch

SCREEN's development of a dual-track coating and developing system for EUV lithography represents an equipment advancement aimed at improving productivity. The company has partnered with a Japanese paper company to develop a new photoresist chemical using hemicellulose for next-generation EUV lithography. Both initiatives remain in development without stated commercialization dates.[7]

Hubei Dinglong's recent customer wins for ArF and KrF photoresists signal potential capacity coming online from Chinese suppliers. The company received orders from two domestic wafer manufacturers, marking a milestone for Chinese ArF photoresist qualification. Rongda Company's 244 million yuan private placement will fund additional high-end photoresist capacity, though the timeline for this capacity to reach production remains unspecified.[5]

Sources

Full scorecard, owner shares, supply edges and the full tracked roster are in the desk letter.

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