Japanese photoresist giants halt new orders to Chinese chipmakers

Japan’s four major photoresist manufacturers—TOK, JSR, Shin‑Etsu and Fujifilm—have announced a complete suspension of new orders for advanced ArF and EUV photoresist supplies to Chinese wafer fabs. The restriction covers materials required for sub‑7 nm processes and also includes a sharp reduction in KrF photoresist shipments for mature‑node production. In addition, logistics timelines have been extended from one‑two months to six‑eight months, and all Japanese on‑site engineers supporting Chinese factories have been withdrawn, effectively cutting technical support for the Chinese semiconductor industry.

The move follows broader de‑risking policies by Japan, the United States and Europe and aims to impede China’s progress on high‑end chip manufacturing. Analysts note that the loss of both material supplies and engineering expertise could force Chinese fabs to halt or severely delay advanced‑node production lines.