A Move to Bypass Tokyo's Export Control
TOK, a Japanese company producing photoresist for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, has reportedly started production of EUV photoresist in Korea. EUV photoresist is one of the items that the Japanese government has banned from being exported to Korea since July 2019.
TOK sent a letter to a local media outlet, saying that its Korean subsidiary TOK Advanced Materials is manufacturing photoresist for EUV lithography and can supply the product in a timely manner, said the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on July 1.
The company appears to have chosen to produce EUV photoresist in Korea to bypass the Japanese government's export control.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly testing photoresist for EUV processes from TOK Advanced Materials.
The company uses photoresist for EUV lithography in its non-memory lines. Samsung Electronics is likely to show interest in EUV photoresist produced by the Japanese company in Korea.