Korean Media: Japanese Photoresist Giant JSR to Establish ArF Production Line in Korea

According to South Korean media reports, Japanese company JSR, the world's leading photoresist manufacturer, plans to establish a production line in Cheongju, South Korea, for manufacturing ArF photoresist to supply Samsung Electronics.

JSR is the largest photoresist producer globally, holding a 24% market share. Due to Japan's export control policies, South Korea's semiconductor industry, particularly Samsung Electronics, is actively promoting the localization of semiconductor materials and diversifying and stabilizing their supply. Naturally, JSR is unwilling to lose this significant market, hence its initiative to set up a local production line in South Korea to bypass export restrictions.

ArF lithography is a primary method for producing storage devices, and photoresist is an indispensable material in the production process. Currently, ArF photoresist is not subject to Japan's export restrictions. Industry insiders speculate that JSR's main goal is to produce EUV photoresist, which is affected by export controls.

Industry sources indicate that JSR's investment plan has been shared with Samsung Electronics, but a final decision has not yet been made.