The demand for panel photoresist in my country is growing rapidly and the market localization rate is low.

Panel photoresist is one of the three major categories of photoresist products. Its technical content is lower than semiconductor photoresist and higher than PCB photoresist. The main product types of panel photoresist include black photoresist, color photoresist, touch screen photoresist, TFT-LCD positive photoresist, etc. Among them, the first two are mainly used in filter manufacturing; the photoresist for touch screens is mainly used in ITO deposition on glass substrates to manufacture touch screens; the latter is mainly used in the field of micro-pattern processing to manufacture TFT-LCD arrays. .

In panel components, the function of color filter is to realize color display, which is one of the key components and accounts for about 16% of the cost. Therefore, black photoresist and color photoresist are the core materials and are among the key components of panel photoresist. For product types with a larger application proportion, the total cost accounts for about 30%. TFT-LCD positive photoresist performs fine pattern processing to realize TFT-LCD array. Its working principle is similar to that of semiconductor photoresist, but it has lower requirements in terms of structure and size, high degree of standardization, and relatively high technical content.

According to the “In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report on Panel Photoresist Industry 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, Globally, the production proportion of panel photoresist, semiconductor photoresist, and PCB photoresist is basically the same; in the Chinese market, due to the lower technical barriers of PCB photoresist, the photoresist products produced in my country are based on PCB photoresist. Resist is the main product, accounting for more than 93% of its production, while panel photoresist production is smaller, accounting for about 4%. my country is the world’s major panel producer, with large LCD output and rapid growth in OLED output. The supply of panel photoresist is insufficient, and market demand mainly relies on imports.

Globally, panel photoresist manufacturers mainly include Japan’s JSR, Tokyo, ADEKA, Toyo Ink, Nippon Steel Chemical, Mitsubishi Chemical, Fuji Electronics, Sumitomo Chemical, South Korea’s LG Chemical, Taiwan’s Chimei and Daxing , New Applied Materials, Dow Chemical of the United States, Merck of Germany, etc. Japan is in a leading position in the global panel photoresist market, with advanced technology and large production capacity. A few companies such as JSR, Tokyo, Toyo Ink, Nippon Steel Chemical, and Mitsubishi Chemical occupy most of the global market share.

The scale of my country’s panel industry continues to expand. In order to achieve independent supply of key raw materials, my country’s panel photoresist manufacturers have gradually increased. At present, the main panel photoresist manufacturers in my country include Jingrui Technology, Beijing Kehua, Feikai Materials, Jiangsu Boyan, Yake Technology, Beixu Electronics, etc. However, the technical strength of my country’s panel photoresist industry is limited, and it mainly produces mid- to low-end products. The localization rate of photoresist for touch screens can reach 42%. TFT-LCD positive photoresists can be supplied in large quantities, while color and black The localization rate of photoresist is only 6%. Overall, Chinese companies have a low share of the domestic panel photoresist market, totaling around 35%.

Industry analysts said that as the production capacity of high-generation line panels continues to expand, the global market demand for panel photoresist continues to grow. The global panel photoresist market size in 2021 will be approximately US$2.46 billion. China’s panel production capacity continues to expand, high-generation panel production lines continue to increase, and the demand for panel photoresist is growing much faster than the global average. In 2021, China’s panel photoresist market will be approximately US$1.23 billion, accounting for 50% of the total global market. From this point of view, my country’s panel photoresist market has greater room for development, and domestic companies urgently need to enhance their competitiveness.