Photoresist Market 2025 – Market Size & Segments Analysis, Industry Trends, Manufacturers Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast 2035

A photoresist is a light-sensitive material used in photolithography and other processes to create patterned coatings on surfaces. It's a crucial component in electronics manufacturing, allowing for the transfer of intricate patterns to substrates. These patterns are fundamental in the manufacturing of semiconductors & integrated circuits (ICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), LCDs, and other microdevices. The main role of a photoresist is to mask specific areas of a substrate during etching, doping, or metal deposition, thereby allowing only the exposed or unexposed portions to undergo chemical transformation. This selective exposure enables the precise transfer of circuit patterns onto the substrate surface.

The evolution of photoresists continues to shape the future of semiconductor scaling, quantum computing, and next-generation electronics. The photoresist market is experiencing significant growth since past few years. The growth in mainly driven by the advancements in semiconductor manufacturing, increased demand for consumer electronics, especially in the emerging economies, and the proliferation of technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) all around the globe. The market's growth is closely tied to the expansion of semiconductor industry, and the continuous evolution of electronic devices. The increasing complexity of electronic devices necessitates advanced photoresist materials capable of producing finer patterns with higher precision.

The photoresist market is anticipated to reach USD XXX.X million by 2034 from USD XXX.X million in 2024, at a CAGR of XX.X% during the forecast period 2025-2035.

Emerging economies in Asia-Pacific and Latin America offer untapped markets for photoresist manufacturers, driven by increasing industrialization and investments in electronics manufacturing. Moreover, the transition to advanced lithography techniques, such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, requires specialized photoresist materials capable of withstanding shorter wavelengths and delivering higher resolution patterns, which is expected to further boost the photoresist market during the forecast period 2025-2035.

Growth Drivers:

The expanding consumer electronics industry, particularly smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, and smart TVs, continues to fuel the demand for photoresists in PCB fabrication, microprocessors, and display components. For instance, according to the GSM Association (GSMA), the smartphone connection in Asia Pacific is expected to reach 3 billion by the end of FY 2030. This is expected to translate smartphone adoption rate of 94% for the region, compared to the global average of 92% at the same time. Smartphones, wearables, and AR/VR devices require smaller, faster, and more power-efficient chips, and other components, requiring the adoption of photoresist in the manufacturing process. Additionally, the need for miniaturization and functional density in mobile electronics, further propels demand for advanced photoresists that support multi-patterning and fine-line resolution.

The semiconductor sector is the largest end-use market for photoresist materials, and its rapid expansion directly contributes to the rising demand for photoresists. For instance, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) Organization, the global semiconductor sales were USD 167.7 billion for the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 18.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Global sales were USD 55.9 billion during the month of March 2025, an increase of 1.8% compared to the February 2025 total of USD 54.9 billion. As semiconductor foundries ramp up chip production volumes, particularly for AI processors and 5G chipsets, the consumption of high-performance photoresists increases significantly all around the globe.

The global deployment of 5G networks is creating a ripple effect across telecom infrastructure, base stations, and mobile devices. For instance, according to the GSM Association (GSMA) Intelligence report, the consumer 5G connections increased from 1 billion at the end of 2022 to around 1.5 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach 2 billion by the end of 2025. 5G requires high-frequency chips with low latency, pushing semiconductor manufacturers to adopt finer lithographic patterns, which boosts the demand for photoresists.

Photoresist Market Segmentation:

By Product Type:

·         ARF Immersion

·         ARF DRY

·         KRF

·         G-Line & I-Line

·         Others

By Ancillary Type:

·         Anti-Reflective Coating

·         Developers

·         Removers

·         Others

By Application:

·         ​​​​​​​Printed Circuit Boards

·         Semiconductors & IC's

·         LCD's

·         Others

By Region:

·         North America

·         Europe

·         Asia Pacific

·         Latin America

·         Middle East and Africa

Photoresist Market by Product Type Review:

Based on the product type, the photoresist market is segmented into five segments including: ARF Immersion, ARF DRY, KRF, G-Line & I-Line, and others. On the basis of product type, the ARF DRY segment is expected to dominate the market in terms of market share, while the ARF Immersion segment is predicted to grow at the highest rate in terms of CAGR during the forecast period.

Photoresist Market by Ancillary Type Review:

Based on the ancillary type, the market is segmented into anti-reflective coating, developers, removers, and others. On the basis of ancillary type, the anti-reflective coating segment is expected to be the largest in terms of market share, while the developers’ segment is predicted to grow at the highest rate in terms of CAGR during the forecast period.

Photoresist Market by Application Review:

Based on the application, the market is segmented into printed circuit boards, semiconductors & IC’s, LCD’s and others. On the basis of application, the semiconductors & IC’s segment is expected to be the largest in terms of market share, while the LCD’s segment is predicted to grow at the highest rate in terms of CAGR during the forecast period.

Regional Outlook:

The photoresist market research report offers detailed analysis and forecasts for five major regions i.e., North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa.

The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to maintain its dominant position in the global photoresist market, accounting for a projected market share of XX.X% in 2024. The regional photoresist market is mainly driven by the rapid industrialization, strategic investments in semiconductor infrastructure, and the overwhelming dominance of countries like China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in the global electronics supply chain. With these nations hosting major fabrication facilities, the region is not only a production hub but also a focal point for innovation in advanced photolithography techniques. Moreover, India is still in the nascent stages of its semiconductor and photoresist market but is showing strong potential due to government incentives and growing domestic electronics manufacturing, which is predicted to further drive the photoresist market in the region during the forecast period 2025-2035.

The Asia Pacific region stands as the epicenter of the global photoresist market, holding a dominant position due to its robust semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure. Countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and China have established themselves as pivotal players in semiconductor production, contributing significantly to the regional market share.

The proliferation of smartphones, wearable devices, and other consumer electronics in the region is driving the need for advanced semiconductors, thereby increasing the demand for photoresists used in their production. For instance, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Indian smartphone market grew for the fifth consecutive quarter. In 3Q of 24, smartphone shipments in India reached 46 million units, reflecting 5.6% growth YoY.

Moreover, the shift towards advanced lithography techniques, such as EUV and ARF immersion lithography, requires high-resolution photoresists, which is expected to further boost the market growth in the region during the forecast period 2025-2035.

North America is a significant regional market in the global photoresist market, primarily driven by a strong presence of semiconductor design and technology companies, strategic government initiatives in the semiconductor & electronics industry, and rising innovation in advanced lithography techniques in the region. Furthermore, the region, particularly the US is home to some of the major chip design companies like Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and AMD, and is ramping up domestic manufacturing, boosting the demand for photoresist in the region. Moreover, strategic partnerships & collaborations between US-based companies and Japanese/Korean photoresist material suppliers, is increasing for local photoresist development, which is expected to further boost the market growth in the region during the forecast period 2025-2035.

Key Companies in Photoresist Market:

The research report offers a competitive analysis of prominent companies operating in the global photoresist market. Some of the leading players profiled in the market research report include:

·         FUJIFILM Corporation

·         JSR Corporation

·         Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.

·         DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

·         Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. 

·         TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. 

·         Merck Group

·         Dow

·         Allresist GmbH

·         Micro Resist Technology GmbH

·         DJ MicroLaminates

·         Other Player’s