HOYA dominates mask blank market, expands production to meet growing demand

Geoffrey Akiki talks about optical and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography as well as mask blanks.

In 2021, the electronics market experienced an increase in shipment of personal computers, smartphones, servers and other major finished products. This led to higher demand for logic devices, memory, analogue semiconductors, etc., translating into 26% growth in the semiconductor market overall.

Going forward, the growth of the market for mask blanks is expected to continue, given that semiconductor manufacturers and foundries are briskly conducting research and development activities aimed at the further miniaturisation of electronic circuits using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography—a cutting-edge manufacturing technology—and that customers’ research and development demand is the key driving force for the demand for mask blanks.

HOYA Position and Market Share 

The company has maintained a large share of the market over the long term by leveraging their strengths in technology and manufacturing as a leader in boosting semiconductor performance. HOYA has conducted EUV blanks research for nearly 20 years, and have demonstrated a firm presence in this field which has exceptionally high hurdles to clear for entry.HOYA is the only manufacturer that has rolled out both EUV and optical (existing non-EUV lithography technology) mask blanks.