Global Photoresists Market Strategic Research Report

Scope of the Report

The global Photoresists market size is predicted to grow from US$ 7,142 million in 2025 to US$ 10,762 million in 2032; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2026 to 2032.

Photoresist (PR) is a polymeric compound that changes properties when exposed to certain wavelengths of light to form specific patterns on substrate surfaces. PR is a key material for photolithography in the TFT-LCD manufacturing process.

In 2024, the global semiconductor photoresist market (including EUV photoresist, ArF photoresist, KrF photoresist, and i/g-line photoresist) stood at USD 2.99 billion, and is projected to reach USD 5.09 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 6.54% from 2026 to 2032.

The global display panel photoresist market (including color photoresist, black photoresist, touch panel photoresist, and TFT-LCD photoresist) was valued at USD 1.81 billion in 2024, and it is anticipated to reach USD 2.43 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 3.67% for the period 2026–2032.

In 2024, the global PCB photoresist market (including dry film photoresist, solder mask ink, and liquid photoresist) reached USD 1.89 billion, and it is forecasted to grow to USD 3.29 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2026 to 2032.

In terms of semiconductor photoresist, the core manufacturers are currently producers from Japan, the United States, and South Korea, including Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK), JSR, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Qnity, Fujifilm, Sumitomo Chemical, and Dongjin Semichem of South Korea. In 2024, the top six semiconductor photoresist producers accounted for approximately 84.6% of the global market share. In the domestic Chinese market, the major manufacturers include Reform Technology (with its subsidiary Beijing Kehua Microelectronics), Jiangsu Jingrui Electronic Materials, Xuzhou Bokang Information Chemicals Co., Ltd., Hengkun New Materials, Jiangsu Aisen Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Jishi, Shanghai Sinyang Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., Rongda Photosensitive Materials, Beijing Xinyihua Technology Co., Ltd., Guoke Tianji, Jiangsu Nata Opto-electronic Material Co., Ltd., and Feikai Materials.

For display panel photoresist, the leading manufacturers include Fujifilm, Sumitomo Chemical, Dongjin Semichem, Merck KGaA (AZ), JSR, Nippon Steel Chemical, Yake Technology, DNP Fine Chemicals, Reform Technology (with its subsidiary Beijing Beixu Electronics), and Beijing Xinyihua Technology Co., Ltd. In 2024, the top seven global manufacturers held about 71.8% of the market share.

Regarding PCB photoresist, the core manufacturers of PCB dry film photoresist include Asahi Kasei, Eternal Materials, Resonac, Chang Chun Group, Kolon Industries, Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited, Qnity, Hunan Chuyuan New Materials Co., Ltd., and Hangzhou First Applied Material Co., Ltd. In 2024, the top six global manufacturers accounted for approximately 67% of the market share. For PCB solder mask ink, the key manufacturers mainly include Taiyo Ink, Rongda Photosensitive Materials, Guangxin Materials, and Resonac, with the top three manufacturers holding 72% of the market share in 2024.

From the consumption perspective, China is currently the world's largest photoresist consumer market, accounting for 34.7% of the global market share in 2024, followed by China's Taiwan region and South Korea, with shares of 20.67% and 19.36% respectively.

On the production side, Japan, North America, China's Taiwan region, South Korea, and mainland China are the major photoresist production regions. In 2024, they accounted for 53.93%, 8.54%, 11.50%, 9.36%, and 9.01% of the global market share respectively. It is expected that in the next few years, the Chinese market will maintain the fastest growth rate, with its share projected to reach 12.43% by 2032.

In terms of product types, semiconductor photoresist is the largest sub-category, accounting for 44.64% of the total photoresist market share in 2024, and this proportion is expected to rise to 47.26% by 2031. The semiconductor photoresist is expected to achieve a CAGR of approximately 6.54% during 2026–2032.

From the perspective of the global supply and demand structure of semiconductor photoresist (including supporting lithography materials such as developers and cleaning agents), the industry is characterized by "moderate overall volume recovery and structural shift towards advanced processes" in 2024–2025. The global semiconductor photoresist market reached USD 2.991 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit USD 4.883 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 6.54% from 2025 to 2031. Among them, EUV photoresist is the fastest-growing sub-category, while the demand for mature photoresists such as KrF and ArF is driven more by the increase in the number of layers of 3D NAND and the recovery of capacity utilization in memory and some mature logic processes. On the supply side, photoresist is a typical material featuring "strong certification requirements and tight process coupling". The formula (resins, solvents, photoacid generators (PAGs), quenchers, etc.), coating thickness uniformity, defect density, metal ion control, and coordination with exposure/development windows all require long-term joint development and verification with wafer fabs, resulting in a naturally high degree of industry concentration. Manufacturers from Japan, South Korea, and the United States have long occupied a key position in high-end photoresist (especially EUV photoresist). In 2024, Japanese manufacturers accounted for 75% of the global market share, followed by U.S. manufacturers with 12.25%, South Korean manufacturers with 4.99%, and European manufacturers with 4.21%. Domestic Chinese manufacturers only held a 2.68% share of the global market in 2024. Leading global enterprises are also continuously expanding production capacity and global delivery systems to serve customers in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Looking ahead to the next 2–5 years, the core growth drivers of semiconductor photoresist will revolve around the process evolution of advanced logic/advanced memory, the material iteration of EUV/High-NA, and the demand expansion of "thick-film/multi-layer lithography" brought by advanced packaging. On one hand, AI/HPC is driving the expansion of advanced logic (3nm → 2nm/Å-class) production capacity, and the penetration rate of EUV in key layers will continue to increase. High-NA EUV is widely regarded by the industry to enter a more substantial mass production introduction window around 2026, which will shift the focus of materials to "lower stochastic defects, higher resolution/lower line edge roughness (LER), improved sensitivity at acceptable doses, and adaptation to new photomasks/exposure conditions". This will promote the further evolution of EUV photoresist from the traditional chemically amplified photoresist system to new systems such as metal oxide resist (MOR) and the coordination with supporting processes (e.g., JSR's acquisition of Inpria to strengthen its layout of EUV metal oxide photoresist). On the other hand, in the process of DRAM miniaturization and continuous stacking of 3D NAND, DUV photoresist will maintain a "large and stable" market base, and benefit from the demand for multi-patterning and yield repair in specific process steps. Meanwhile, advanced packaging (RDL, Fan-Out, WLP, etc.) is increasing the usage intensity of thick-film photoresist/dry film/dry lithography, and new routes such as "dry resist" are being introduced to reduce the defects and cost pressure caused by multiple wet coating processes. Representative equipment and process ecosystems are also advancing verification and mass production. Key external variables to focus on include: geopolitics and supply security (long certification cycles lead to weak short-term substitution elasticity, and the construction of regional/localized production capacity and formula systems will continue to accelerate), as well as environmental and compliance constraints (multiple studies have emphasized the irreplaceability of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) and other fluorine-containing chemicals in key semiconductor materials. If regulations in regions such as the EU become stricter, it will force material manufacturers to carry out formula restructuring, supply chain compliance, and alternative path research and development, but it may also lead to cost and delivery cycle fluctuations in the short term).

Key Questions Addressed in this Report

What is the 10-year outlook for the global Photoresists market?

What factors are driving Photoresists market growth, globally and by region?

Which technologies are poised for the fastest growth by market and region?

How do Photoresists market opportunities vary by end market size?

How does Photoresists break out by Imaging Mechanism, by Application?

This report presents a comprehensive overview of the global Photoresists market, covering market size and forecast, segmentation by product type and application, competitive landscape, leading players and regional and country-level outlook.

Segment by Type

• EUV Photoresist
• ArFi Photoresist
• ArF Dry Photoresist
• KrF Photoresist
• g/i-Line
• Others

Segment by Imaging Mechanism

• Positive Photoresists
• Negative Photoresists

Segment by Process Node

• High End / Advanced <14nm
• Mid End 18/22/28-90nm
• Low End >110nm
• DRAM and NAND

Segment by Application

• Semiconductor Photoresists
• LCD Photoresists
• PCB Photoresists

Who Can Use This Report?

This report is written for decision-makers who need a clear, data-backed view of the global Photoresists market:

• Manufacturers, suppliers and solution providers benchmarking their position and planning product, capacity and go-to-market strategy
• Distributors, channel partners and end users in Semiconductor Photoresists, LCD Photoresists, PCB Photoresists evaluating demand and sourcing options
• Investors, financial analysts and consultants assessing growth opportunities, competitive dynamics and M&A potential
• Government agencies, industry associations and research institutions tracking industry developments and policy impact