As Japan’s metal-oxide EUV resist market continues to grow, ADEKA plans to invest ¥3.2 billion in a dedicated plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, targeting commercial operations in April 2028. Meanwhile, strategic collaboration between TOK and Irresistible Materials is advancing, accelerating the development of next-generation materials, including PFAS-free formulations.
Japan’s metal-oxide EUV resist market is becoming increasingly important as the ecosystem for advanced lithography materials expands. ADEKA has announced plans to build a dedicated plant for organometallic compounds at its Kashima Plant in Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in April 2028. As mass-production capabilities are established and supply expands, Japan’s domestic MOR supply capacity is being strengthened.
Alongside ADEKA’s investment plan, advanced materials development for EUV and High-NA EUV applications is under way at the Semiconductor Innovation Center in Kuki, Saitama Prefecture. The center is focused primarily on organometallic compounds and photoacid generators, with momentum building behind the transition from research and development to commercialization.
Strategies for next-generation lithography materials include collaboration between TOK and Irresistible Materials. Announced in February 2026, the partnership includes efforts to develop PFAS/PFOS-free formulations for MOR materials and is expected to support a range of platforms for next-generation EUV resists.
Semiconductor investment in Japan is driving materials development aimed at balancing resolution, sensitivity, etch resistance and thin-film stability in preparation for the mass production of 2nm-class logic and HBM. The market opportunity is expected to expand through advances in areas including positive- and negative-tone MORs, metal-containing resists and higher EUV absorption, supporting the commercialization of 2nm logic.