Mask blanks
CHOKEPOINTHoya shares a duopoly on defect-prone coated mask substrates, where a single blank flaw replicates across every chip printed, deterring new entry.
The coated substrate (quartz with absorber for DUV, Mo/Si multilayer on ultra-low-expansion glass for EUV) becomes a photomask after patterning. Defects at this stage propagate to every chip printed, so blank quality sets yield ceilings. AGC and Hoya form a global duopoly with no near-term entrants.
What the evidence shows
AGC and Hoya are the two main suppliers of EUV mask blanks, a critical component for EUV photomasks.
semiengineering.comTool and materials co-development cycles in EUV lithography span 5–7 years, constraining new entrant qualification.
karimalmansour.substack.comThere are currently no viable substitutes for EUV lithography mask blanks in high-volume chip manufacturing.
archivemarketresearch.comWho controls it
Where it sits in the stack
Takes in: ULE/Zerodur glass substrate, Mo/Si multilayer coating (EUV) or chrome absorber (DUV)
Sends on: Qualified mask blank ready for e-beam writing
Full scorecard, owner shares, supply edges and the full tracked roster are in the desk letter.
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