Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market, Trends, Business Strategies 2025-2032

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Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market was valued at 72 million in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 163 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period.

Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market, Trends, Business Strategies 2025-2032

Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market was valued at 72 million in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 163 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period.

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Market Overview

The global Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market was valued at 72 million in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 163 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period.

A pellicle for EUV reticles is a protective membrane critical for safeguarding photomasks from contamination while enabling high transmission of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light during the semiconductor lithography process. These components are essential for maintaining yield and precision in advanced chip manufacturing, particularly as node sizes shrink below 7nm. The structure of EUV pellicles has evolved significantly, transitioning from initial single-layer polysilicon designs to advanced multi-layer composites utilizing alternating molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂) and silicon (Si) layers. This structural innovation has boosted EUV transmittance (EUVT)—a key performance metric—from approximately 82% to over 90%.

The market is experiencing robust growth driven by the escalating demand for advanced semiconductors, fueled largely by artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The proliferation of EUV lithography systems, which now operate at power levels exceeding 500W, necessitates high-performance pellicles to protect reticles from thermal and particulate damage. Key industry players, including Mitsui Chemicals—which began mass sales in 2021 after licensing technology from ASML—are advancing next-generation carbon nanotube (CNT) pellicle technologies, with new production facilities expected by the end of 2025. Other notable contributors, such as S&S Tech and Canatu, are also developing high-transmittance and durable pellicle solutions to meet the stringent requirements of leading semiconductor manufacturers.

MARKET DYNAMICS

MARKET DRIVERS

Accelerated Adoption of EUV Lithography in Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing to Drive Market Expansion

The global semiconductor industry’s relentless pursuit of miniaturization has created unprecedented demand for extreme ultraviolet lithography technology, which is the primary driver for EUV pellicle adoption. With over 80% of all sub-7nm semiconductor manufacturing now utilizing EUV lithography, the requirement for high-performance pellicles has become critical. The transition to multi-layer pellicle structures has significantly improved EUV transmittance rates from approximately 82% to over 90%, enabling more efficient chip production. Major semiconductor manufacturers have increased their EUV tool investments by approximately 40% year-over-year, with leading foundries operating more than 60 EUV systems globally. This substantial capital expenditure directly translates to increased pellicle consumption, as each EUV system requires multiple pellicles for different mask sets throughout the production process.

Rising Demand for High-Performance Computing and AI Chips to Boost Market Growth

The exponential growth in artificial intelligence applications and high-performance computing has created an insatiable demand for advanced semiconductor chips manufactured using EUV technology. The AI chip market, which relies heavily on EUV-produced components, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate exceeding 35% through 2030. This growth directly correlates with increased pellicle demand, as each EUV lithography process requires specialized pellicles to protect photomasks from contamination. The complexity of AI processors, featuring transistor counts exceeding 50 billion units per chip, necessitates multiple EUV patterning layers, further driving pellicle consumption. Additionally, the automotive industry’s shift toward autonomous driving systems has created new demand for advanced semiconductors, with electric vehicles containing approximately 3,000 chips per vehicle, many requiring EUV manufacturing processes.

Furthermore, the ongoing global semiconductor capacity expansion, particularly in leading semiconductor manufacturing regions, is expected to sustain market growth. Major semiconductor manufacturers have announced capacity expansion projects totaling over $200 billion in investments, with a significant portion allocated to EUV-capable facilities.

➤ For instance, leading semiconductor foundries have increased their EUV pellicle procurement by approximately 60% in the past two years to support their advanced node manufacturing capabilities.

The convergence of 5G deployment, IoT expansion, and cloud computing growth continues to drive semiconductor demand, ensuring sustained market growth for EUV pellicles throughout the forecast period.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Emergence of Carbon Nanotube Technology and Next-Generation Materials to Create Growth Opportunities

The development of carbon nanotube-based pellicle technology represents a significant opportunity for market expansion. CNT pellicles offer potential transmission rates exceeding 95% while providing superior thermal stability and mechanical strength compared to traditional multi-layer structures. Major industry players have invested over $50 million in CNT pellicle research and development, with commercial production facilities scheduled for completion by 2025. This technological advancement could reduce pellicle costs by approximately 30-40% while improving performance characteristics. The transition to CNT technology aligns with the industry’s roadmap for high-NA EUV systems, which require even more advanced pellicle solutions to maintain yield rates and production efficiency.

Furthermore, the expanding application of EUV technology beyond traditional semiconductor manufacturing creates new market opportunities. The photonics industry, advanced packaging sector, and emerging quantum computing applications all require EUV-based patterning, potentially doubling the addressable market for pellicles within the next decade. The compound annual growth rate for these adjacent markets exceeds 25%, providing substantial growth potential for pellicle manufacturers willing to develop application-specific solutions.

Strategic partnerships and technology licensing agreements present additional growth opportunities. The collaboration between equipment manufacturers and material science companies has accelerated innovation, with several joint development programs announced in the past year. These partnerships leverage complementary expertise to overcome technical challenges and reduce time-to-market for new pellicle technologies, potentially capturing value from the entire EUV ecosystem rather than just the pellicle component market.

PELLICLES FOR EUV RETICLES MARKET TRENDS

Transition to Multi-Layer and Carbon Nanotube Pellicles to Emerge as a Key Trend

The evolution of pellicle technology from single-layer polysilicon structures to advanced multi-layer composites represents a fundamental shift driven by the need for higher EUV transmittance (EUVT) and thermal durability. While initial pellicles offered an EUVT of approximately 82%, the adoption of alternating molybdenum disilicide (MoSi) and silicon (Si) layers has pushed this figure to around 90%, a critical improvement for maintaining throughput in high-volume manufacturing. However, the industry is already looking beyond structural changes. The emergence of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) pellicles promises a revolutionary leap, offering potential EUVT exceeding 90% while providing superior thermal stability and mechanical strength. This material advancement is crucial because next-generation EUV scanners operate at power levels exceeding 500W, generating immense heat that traditional materials struggle to withstand without degradation. Consequently, the development pipeline is heavily focused on CNT technology, with major production facilities expected to come online by late 2025 to support the manufacturing of sub-3nm node chips.

Other Trends

Rising Demand from Advanced Node Semiconductor Manufacturing

The insatiable demand for computational power, fueled by artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and 5G connectivity, is directly propelling the market for EUV pellicles. This is because these applications require chips manufactured at the most advanced process nodes—7nm and below—which are exclusively produced using Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) technology. At these nodes, the pattern size on the reticle can be as small as tens of nanometers, making the mask extraordinarily vulnerable to contamination from microscopic particles. A single particle defect can render an entire wafer useless, resulting in significant financial losses. Therefore, the pellicle is no longer just an accessory but an essential component for yield management. Foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) are thus driving demand for high-performance pellicles to protect their multi-million-dollar reticle investments and ensure production viability, with the market for sub-7nm chips showing a compound annual growth rate of over 18%.

Intensified R&D and Strategic Collaborations Reshape the Competitive Landscape

The highly specialized nature of EUV pellicle manufacturing has led to a market characterized by intense research efforts and strategic partnerships, rather than a wide field of competitors. While ASML pioneered the technology and licensed it to Mitsui Chemicals for mass production, other players are aggressively developing alternative solutions to capture market share and offer foundries a second source. For instance, South Korean company S&S Tech has successfully developed a pellicle with a transmittance above 90%, positioning itself as a strong regional contender. Furthermore, collaborative ventures, such as the long-standing partnership between Canatu and the Belgian research institute Imec, aim to overcome the remaining technical hurdles associated with CNT pellicles, particularly concerning their lifespan, permeability, and overall structural integrity under continuous high-power exposure. This environment of innovation is vital because it addresses the key challenges of supply chain resilience and technological redundancy for major semiconductor manufacturers, ensuring the steady advancement and availability of this critical lithography component.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Key Industry Players

Technological Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Drive Market Position

The global Pellicles for EUV Reticles market exhibits a concentrated competitive structure, dominated by a handful of specialized manufacturers with significant technological barriers to entry. Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. currently leads the market, holding an estimated 45-50% revenue share in 2024. This dominant position stems from their exclusive licensing agreement with ASML Holding NV, the sole manufacturer of EUV lithography machines, and their early commercialization of multi-layer pellicles beginning in 2021. Their established production capabilities and ongoing development of next-generation carbon nanotube (CNT) pellicles, with a production facility expected to be operational by late 2025, solidify their market leadership.

S&S Tech (South Korea) has emerged as a formidable competitor, particularly capturing significant market share in the Asian semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. The company achieved a technological breakthrough in 2021 by developing pellicles with transmittance rates exceeding 90%, positioning them as a key supplier to major foundries and IDMs in the region. Their proximity to leading semiconductor manufacturers in South Korea and Taiwan provides a distinct competitive advantage in terms of supply chain efficiency and collaborative development.

Meanwhile, Canatu Oy (Finland) represents the innovative frontier of the market through its long-term collaboration with imec since 2015. While not yet in commercial production, their development of CNT-based pellicles focuses on solving critical challenges related to thermal durability at power levels exceeding 500W and mechanical strength. Their approach represents the next wave of material science advancement beyond current multi-layer structures.

Other notable participants include FST (Finland), which remains in the development phase, and TSMC (Taiwan), which engages in internal development efforts to ensure supply chain security for its advanced manufacturing processes. The market is characterized by intense research and development activities, with companies striving to improve key performance indicators like EUV transmittance (EUVT), thermal stability, and defect density to meet the stringent requirements of sub-7nm and more advanced process nodes.

List of Key Pellicles for EUV Reticles Companies Profiled

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Japan)
S&S Tech (South Korea)
Canatu Oy (Finland)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (Taiwan)
FST (Finland)

Segment Analysis:

By Type

Multi-Layer Pellicles Segment Dominates the Market Due to Superior EUV Transmittance and Thermal Durability

The market is segmented based on type into:

Single-Layer Pellicles
Multi-Layer Pellicles
Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Pellicles
Others

By Application

Foundry Segment Leads Due to High-Volume Manufacturing of Advanced Node Semiconductors

The market is segmented based on application into:

Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs)
Foundries
Research and Development Institutions
Mask Shops

By Transmission Rate

High Transmission Rate Pellicles (>90%) Gain Traction for Enhanced Lithography Efficiency

The market is segmented based on transmission rate into:

≤90% Transmission Rate
>90% Transmission Rate

By Lithography Power

High-Power EUV Systems Drive Demand for Advanced Thermal-Resistant Pellicles

The market is segmented based on lithography power compatibility into:

Low-Power EUV Systems (<250W)
Medium-Power EUV Systems (250W-500W)
High-Power EUV Systems (>500W)

Regional Analysis: Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market

Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region dominates the global Pellicles for EUV Reticles market, accounting for over 60% of global consumption by volume. This leadership is driven by the concentration of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, is a massive consumer of these critical components for its sub-7nm and sub-3nm processes. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are also major drivers, heavily investing in EUV capacity expansion. The region’s market is characterized by intense demand for pellicles with transmission rates exceeding 90% to maximize the efficiency of high-power EUV scanners. Local suppliers like S&S Tech are actively developing and commercializing advanced pellicle technologies to reduce reliance on imports and secure the supply chain for domestic chipmakers.

North America
North America represents a significant and technologically advanced market, primarily fueled by Intel’s ambitious IDM 2.0 strategy and substantial investments in reclaiming process leadership. The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, which allocates over $52 billion in funding and incentives for domestic semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing, is a key catalyst. This is creating a robust environment for the adoption of EUV technology and, consequently, high-performance pellicles. The market demand here is heavily skewed toward pellicles that offer exceptional thermal and mechanical durability to withstand the intense power of next-generation EUV tools operating above 500W. While there are currently no major local pellicle manufacturers, the presence of leading equipment developers and strong R&D ecosystems supports innovation and adoption.

Europe
Europe’s market is defined by strong research and development initiatives and the presence of key technology partners like ASML and imec. ASML, the sole manufacturer of EUV lithography machines, is headquartered in the Netherlands and plays a pivotal role in pioneering pellicle technology, which it licenses to production partners. Collaborative research, such as the long-running partnership between Finland’s Canatu and Belgium’s imec on carbon nanotube (CNT) pellicles, is a hallmark of the regional approach. Demand is driven by both local chipmakers, like STMicroelectronics, and the global need for the lithography tools produced in the region. The market prioritizes innovation, with a focus on developing next-generation materials that can push performance boundaries in transmission rate and longevity.

South America
The market for Pellicles for EUV Reticles in South America is currently nascent and represents a minor share of the global total. The region lacks advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities that utilize EUV lithography. Economic factors and a less developed technological infrastructure have limited investments in cutting-edge chip manufacturing. Consequently, demand for these highly specialized components is virtually non-existent from a production standpoint. Any market activity is likely confined to research institutions or small-scale prototyping, but it does not constitute a significant commercial segment at present.

Middle East & Africa
Similar to South America, the Middle East and Africa region is not a meaningful consumer of Pellicles for EUV Reticles. While some nations are making strategic investments in technology and diversification, these efforts have not yet extended to establishing leading-edge semiconductor foundries that would require EUV technology. The market for these pellicles is absent due to the lack of the necessary underlying manufacturing infrastructure. Growth in this region would be contingent upon massive, long-term investments in high-tech industrial bases, which are not currently evident.

The market is highly fragmented, with a mix of global and regional players competing for market share. To Learn More About the Global Trends Impacting the Future of Top 10 Companies https://semiconductorinsight.com/download-sample-report/?product_id=117543

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is the current market size of Global Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market?

Which key companies operate in Global Pellicles for EUV Reticles Market?

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What are the emerging trends?

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