Photoresist chemical market seen topping $17B by 2030

The photoresist electronic chemical market is projected to exceed $17 billion by 2030, driven by semiconductor fab expansion, rising AI-chip demand and the shift to EUV lithography. Asia-Pacific is forecast to remain the largest regional market, while the U.S. is set to be the biggest single-country market.

Why it matters: - Photoresist electronic chemicals are a critical input for semiconductor manufacturing, where smaller and more complex chips require higher-purity materials and more precise lithography. - Growth in this market tracks broader chipmaking investment, so its outlook is a signal for semiconductor capacity, advanced-node production and materials suppliers. - The market is expected to add more than $5 billion in value across positive and negative photoresists by 2030.

What happened: - The Business Research Company projected the photoresist electronic chemical market will surpass $17 billion by 2030. - The firm forecast a 7% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - The report said the broader electronic chemicals and materials market will reach about $131 billion by 2030, with photoresist products making up roughly 13% of that total. - The report placed photoresist electronic chemicals at about 0.2% of the projected $7,007 billion chemicals industry by 2030. - The report identified Asia-Pacific as the largest regional market by 2030, at $6.5 billion. - The report said the United States will be the largest single-country market in 2030, at $3.5 billion.

The details: - Asia-Pacific is expected to grow from $4.5 billion in 2025 to $6.5 billion in 2030, a 8% CAGR. - Growth in Asia-Pacific is tied to new semiconductor fabs in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, plus demand from consumer electronics and automotive chips. - The U.S. market is forecast to rise from $2.6 billion in 2025 to $3.5 billion in 2030, a 7% CAGR. - U.S. growth is linked to new advanced fabrication facilities, government support for chip production, demand for next-generation integrated circuits, ongoing lithography R&D and improved material formulations. - Positive photoresists are projected to hold 71% of the market, worth about $12 billion by 2030. - Market segmentation also includes negative photoresists, substrates such as silicon, glass and metal, and applications in semiconductor manufacturing, printed circuit boards, LCDs and MEMS. - The report said semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, display and MEMS industries are the main end users. - JSR Corporation led the global market in 2025 with a 6% share. - Tokyo Ohka Kogyo and Shin-Etsu Chemical each held 4% in 2025. - Sumitomo Chemical held 3%, while Merck KGaA, E.I. DuPont and Air Products and Chemicals each held 2%. - BASF, Fujifilm and LG Chem each held 1%. - The top ten companies accounted for about 26% of total 2025 revenue, pointing to a moderately fragmented market. - The report said the 2026 edition adds market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrix graphics and tables, Excel-based forecasting dashboards and market hotspot infographics. - The Business Research Company included sample request access and report access links in the release.

Between the lines: - The market forecast reflects a supply-chain arms race in semiconductors, where advanced lithography materials become more valuable as chip geometries shrink. - EUV adoption and the push for AI chips are creating demand for more specialized photoresists, which favors incumbents with deep formulation expertise and customer relationships. - Market concentration remains limited enough that collaboration, regional expansion and product launches can still shift share among leading suppliers. - A 2024 partnership among Lam Research, Entegris and Gelest to develop precursor chemicals for dry photoresist technology shows how adjacent players are trying to shape the next generation of EUV materials.

What's next: - The biggest growth will likely come from advanced fabs, especially in Asia-Pacific and the U.S., as chipmakers keep investing in next-generation production lines. - Demand should continue to rise for high-resolution, high-sensitivity resist materials as EUV lithography expands. - Suppliers that can improve purity, performance and manufacturability are positioned to benefit as chip designs get smaller and more complex.

The bottom line: - Photoresist electronic chemicals are becoming more strategic as semiconductor makers race to support AI, consumer electronics and advanced-node chip production.