Semiconductor Photoacid Generators Market Forecasts from 2023 to 2028

The semiconductor photoacid generators market was valued at US$1.823 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period.

Photoacid generators refer to light-sensitive organic chemical substances that produce H+ when exposed to light and decompose into cationic species such as protons. They are also known as cationic photoinitiators. They are used in the semiconductor industry as photocurable polymer formulation components and chemically amplified photoresists. The semiconductor photoacid generator market can be classified in the following ways: by type, application, and geographic region. The major drivers for the growth of this market include increased demand for semiconductors in several booming industries such as electronics and an increase in demand for lithographic technology.

Market Drivers:

Demand for lithographic technology.

A key factor impacting the semiconductor photoacid generators market growth is the prevalence of lithographic technology in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The lithography system enables the reduction of complex circuit patterns in semiconductors with the help of high-performance lenses and wafer exposure. For example, in April 2020, Sumitomo Chemical announced the expansion of its Osaka Works plant and installed new evaluation equipment. The company aims to meet the increased demand for photoresists with the increase in production capacity and to prepare for future boosts in demand as the market for semiconductor photoacid generators is expected to continue to grow.

Growth in the electronics industry.

There is a noticeable growth in the electronics industry due to research and development efforts. For instance, the electronics industry in India is expected to multiply by over 6 times by 2025 according to a report published by National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency in 2021. Many daily-use electronic products like smart televisions and smartphones are growing in demand globally, and their manufacturing involves the use of semiconductors to control and manage the flow of electric current. Therefore, as the demand for consumer electronics grows, the demand for semiconductors will grow proportionately which will increase the semiconductor photoacid generators market size too.

Demand for semiconductors by the automotive industry.

Semiconductors also find uses in growing industries such as automotive and healthcare which helps further boost the semiconductor photoacid generators industry value. Semiconductors are used extensively in modern automobiles for several advanced driver assistance system technologies and other smart features such as autopilot driving and parking assistance. The global production of motor vehicles has grown by 6% from 2021 to 2022 as per the International Organization for Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. Therefore, as the production and sale of automobiles grow, the demand for semiconductor photoacid generators for semiconductor manufacturing will also continue to grow at a steady rate.

Market Restraining Factors:

High manufacturing cost

A significant challenge faced by this industry relates to the high costs of manufacturing semiconductor oxidation furnaces which acts as a hindrance to the growth of the industry as it negatively impacts the demand. There is a significant financial commitment required for manufacturing photoacid generators used in the manufacturing of semiconductors which can be a deterrent to its demand as many manufacturers may not be willing to make such commitments. Further, the high costs also drive away the potential demand from smaller industrial operations, especially in the early stages of operations.

Technical complexities

Another additional barrier to the growth of the industry is the need for technically skilled and competent labor for operating semiconductor photoacid generators during the manufacturing process. The lack of skilled operators can act as a barrier to growth, and additionally, hiring skilled labor adds to the overall cost of the product which further reduces its affordability.

Products:

• FUJIFILM’s WPAG range of photoacid generator products are used for excimer resist applications of high quality and performance level by resist manufacturers. The company develops diazodisulfones and triphenylsulfonium salts, in addition to supplying diphenyliodonium compounds that are used as optical cationic initiators under their WPI series. The multiple products in this range differ in terms of their color appearance, solubilities, and melting points, among other things.
• Heraeus’s Deep UV photoacid generator products have been developed with the help of their deep understanding of producing electronic-grade photoactive materials for over 3 decades. The company combines selected chromophores with vintage acids to create a range of critical layer resists of high resolution. The products differ in terms of their acid generation strength and solubility levels.

Printed circuit board remains one of the significant applications

The semiconductor photoacid generator market can be segmented into the following ways based on application, namely, Photolithography, Photoengraving, Printed Circuit Boards, and others. Of these different application segments, the market for printed circuit boards is expected to grow significantly over the coming years as a consequence of the rising usage of semiconductors in daily-use electronics and increased demand for advanced electronic solutions across various end-user industries.

The Asia-Pacific region is one of the dominant regional markets.

Asia Pacific is expected to constitute a significant share of the semiconductor photoacid generator industry and similar trends are expected to be followed in the forecast period. This market share is owed to the growth in demand for semiconductors by electronics and automotive sectors in the major economies of the region such as China, and India, as well as other growing countries such as South Korea and Australia.

China holds one of the largest electronics production bases in the world and is also considered one of the largest manufacturing hubs globally. These are two key factors that will continue to increase the demand for semiconductors in Chinese markets as growing industries such as electronics, healthcare, defense, automotive, etc. will continue to demand more semiconductors which will help in the growth of semiconductor photoacid generator market size. In India, the focus on domestic production has led to an increase in industrial growth in all sectors which is driving the demand for semiconductors proportionately.

It is anticipated that North American and European markets will experience moderate growth too. The market for semiconductor photoacid generators in the United States is expected to see a surge in demand due to an increase in industrial operations in electronics, automobiles, and specifically electric vehicles, and defense sectors, as this growth in these industries will drive the demand for semiconductor materials.

Market Segmentation:

By Type

• I-line
• KrF
• ArF
• EUV
• G-line

By Application

• Photolithography
• Photoengraving
• Printed Circuit Boards
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Israel
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• Japan
• India
• South Korea
• Indonesia
• Taiwan
• Others