Japanese media: Japan to restrict exports to China of 23 types of chip-manufacturing equipment and materials!

For instance, in the field of semiconductor equipment and materials—such as photolithography systems—while Dutch company ASML dominates the global EUV lithography machine market, Japanese firms Nikon and Canon also wield significant influence and possess formidable capabilities in DUV lithography machines. Moreover, Japanese companies such as Tokyo Electron (TEL), Hitachi High-Tech, and Advantest hold prominent positions in the semiconductor equipment sector. For example, Tokyo Electron is the world’s second-largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer, with core products including etching systems, ion implantation equipment, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems—all critical to semiconductor fabrication. Advantest, meanwhile, is the world’s largest supplier of semiconductor test equipment; its products are primarily used to inspect and analyze the performance and quality of semiconductor chips. These tools detect defects and errors within chips, ensuring only qualified chips reach the market. Japan’s role in the semiconductor materials supply chain is especially vital. Many key semiconductor materials—including resins, photoresists, specialty gases, and photomasks—are supplied by Japanese firms. For instance, Japanese companies JSR and Toray are the world’s largest photoresist suppliers. A brief introduction to photoresist: it is a thin-film material whose solubility changes upon exposure to light—typically ultraviolet (UV) light—and plays a pivotal role in integrated circuit manufacturing. First, photoresist is applied uniformly onto a silicon wafer. Next, a patterned mask (or photomask) is used with a lithography machine to expose selected areas of the photoresist to light, triggering a chemical reaction in those regions. Then, a chemical developer solution removes the exposed (or unexposed, depending on resist type) portions, thereby transferring the mask pattern onto the photoresist layer. Finally, an etching process removes the underlying silicon in the unprotected areas. This entire sequence is repeated multiple times to ultimately form complex circuit structures. In short, the quality and performance of photoresist profoundly affect the entire lithography process—especially at advanced technology nodes, where photoresist specifications become increasingly stringent. Even with the most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, insufficient photoresist performance will compromise lithographic precision. Thanks to Japan’s early start and deep technological expertise in photoresist development, it commands a large global market share—particularly in mid-to-high-end segments. Among the world’s top five photoresist manufacturers, four are Japanese firms, collectively accounting for 70% of the global photoresist market. In the ArF photoresist subsegment, Japanese companies command approximately 93% of the market—a highly oligopolistic landscape. Similarly, Tokyo Electron holds a 100% market share in EUV photoresist coaters and developers. Other Japanese firms collectively occupy roughly 75% of the photoresist market, led by JSR and TOK (Tokyo Ohka Kogyo), which dominate the production and supply of chemically amplified photoresists. China also has domestic photoresist manufacturers—such as Suzhou Ruihong, Beijing Kehua, Nanjing University Optoelectronics, Rongda Photosensitive, and Shanghai Xinyang—which have made some progress. However, they still lag behind Japanese counterparts in mid-to-high-end photoresists. Specifically for IC photoresists, China’s self-sufficiency rate remained low in 2020: g/i-line photoresist self-sufficiency was below 5%, KrF photoresist self-sufficiency was even lower, and ArF and EUV photoresists were virtually non-existent domestically.

Where did photoresist capacity expansion go? Satellite imagery reveals eight overseas facilities operated by Japanese manufacturers in Taiwan and South Korea.

From Q1 2024 to Q2 2026, construction activity at several newly built plants was notably visible, with factory building outlines gradually taking shape; in contrast, overall changes at existing plants remained relatively limited. Tokyo Ohka Kogyo’s Pyeongtaek plant: still vacant land in early 2024; construction signs emerged in 2025; by May 2026, the main building outline was largely complete. JSR’s Cheongju plant: foundation work already visible in early 2024; major building outlines were largely completed by 2026. Asahi Kasei’s Guantian plant: no obvious architectural changes observed across the three time points captured in satellite imagery. Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Pyeongtaek Plant Phase III comparison: 2024 (vacant land) → 2025 (under construction) → 2026 (building formed); red box indicates plant location. JSR Cheongju Plant Phase III comparison: 2024 (foundation work) → 2025 (under construction) → 2026 (building cluster formed); red box indicates plant location. Fujifilm’s Pyeongtaek plant commenced operations in December 2024; overall site changes across the three time points were minimal. Shin-Etsu’s Douliu (Taiwan) and Sumitomo/Dongyou’s Yeosan plants are existing facilities; their overall appearances in satellite imagery also showed limited change. Fujifilm Pyeongtaek Plant Phase III comparison: buildings already present in early 2024; Phase III expansion was modest (plant operational since December 2024); red box indicates plant location. Shin-Etsu Chemical Douliu Plant (Taiwan): recent imagery from 2026 shows an existing facility—its capacity expansion was completed in 2021; red box indicates plant location. Asahi Kasei Guantian Plant Phase III comparison: existing facility; no significant architectural changes in Phase III; red box indicates plant location. 03 Enterprise Construction & Satellite Imagery Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Pyeongtaek: Factory completed; scheduled for operation in first half of 2027 On September 15, 2026, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo announced completion of its Pyeongtaek plant in South Korea—the Group’s second Korean base. With an initial investment of approximately ¥12 billion, the facility is scheduled to begin operations in the first half of 2027. Satellite imagery from early 2024 shows the site as vacant land; by May 2026, the building outline had taken shape. JSR Cheongju: MOR Photoresist Production Base; scheduled for operation in 2026 JSR is constructing a semiconductor photoresist factory in Okchon, Cheongju, operated by its Korean subsidiary JSR Micro Korea (JMK), responsible for final production of MOR photoresists. Groundbreaking occurred on November 12, 2024, with commercial operation planned for 2026, targeting major Korean semiconductor customers. By 2026, the main building outlines at the site were already clearly visible in satellite imagery. Asahi Kasei Guantian: SUNFORT Dry Film Slitting Facility Completed in July 2026 In July 2026, Asahi Kasei announced that its subsidiary Huaxu Technology had completed a new SUNFORT dry film slitting facility in Guantian, Tainan—commencing commercial operations that same month. The investment totaled approximately ¥2 billion, expanding capacity by about 1.4×. Across the three-phase satellite images, no obvious external architectural changes were observed within the red-boxed area. Slitting production lines are internal factory facilities; their expansion cannot be reliably discerned from this set of optical satellite imagery.

Tokyo Ohka expands photoresist capacity with new Japan plant

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Tokyo Ohka Kogyo has completed construction of a new ¥3 billion ($19 million) photoresist manufacturing facility in Koriyama, Japan, scheduled to begin operations in November 2026. The expansion aims to boost supply capacity for advanced semiconductor materials amid projected market growth.

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Tokyo Ohka expands photoresist capacity with new Japan plant

Tokyo Ohka expands photoresist capacity with new Japan plant

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