Pellicle

Global Pellicle Market to Reach US$1.3 Billion by 2030

The global market for Pellicle estimated at US$742.1 Million in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$1.3 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.2% over the analysis period 2024-2030. ArF, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 9.7% CAGR and reach US$676.4 Million by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the EUV segment is estimated at 11.4% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$202.2 Million While China is Forecast to Grow at 13.8% CAGR

The Pellicle market in the U.S. is estimated at US$202.2 Million in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$271.4 Million by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 13.8% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% and 9.0% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 8.1% CAGR.

Global Pellicle Market – Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

What Role Do Pellicles Play in Protecting Semiconductor Precision and Photomask Integrity?

Pellicles—thin, transparent membranes affixed to photomasks in semiconductor lithography—serve a critical role in preventing particulate contamination during the photolithography process. These ultra-thin polymer films, usually composed of fluoropolymers, nitrocellulose, or polyimide, act as a physical barrier, ensuring that any particles landing on the pellicle remain out of the mask’s focal plane. This safeguard is essential in protecting reticle quality, minimizing defect propagation, and preserving the yield of wafers during high-resolution fabrication processes.

As photomask costs increase and critical dimensions shrink below 10 nm, pellicle protection becomes economically and operationally indispensable. Pellicles are especially crucial in deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography environments, where even nanometer-scale particles can distort circuit patterns. With EUV lithography gaining traction for advanced nodes (5 nm, 3 nm, and beyond), next-generation pellicles must balance high transmission, low reflectivity, extreme heat resistance, and negligible distortion—a challenging feat that’s fueling a wave of material and engineering innovations.

How Are EUV Adoption, Wafer Yield Optimization, and Contamination Control Shaping Pellicle Design Evolution?

EUV lithography, operating at a 13.5 nm wavelength, poses unique challenges for pellicle design. Conventional pellicle materials used in DUV lithography absorb too much EUV radiation, compromising throughput. To address this, semiconductor equipment manufacturers and material science firms are developing EUV-compatible pellicles using silicon-based thin films, carbon nanomaterials, and ultra-thin membranes mounted on advanced frames. These EUV pellicles must withstand laser heating, vacuum environments, and high-intensity exposure without degrading image fidelity.

Wafer yield remains a cornerstone metric in semiconductor economics, and contamination-induced defects on masks are a direct threat to profitability. As front-end fabs move toward advanced node production, the cost of reprinting defective wafers and the downtime associated with pellicle damage becomes significant. Hence, pellicle designs are now incorporating anti-reflective coatings, frame materials with higher thermal coefficients, and advanced mounting systems that enable easier alignment and lower particle generation.

Why Are Foundry Investments, Material Innovation, and Supply Chain Localization Driving Market Expansion?

Massive capital expenditure by semiconductor foundries—especially in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.—is fueling demand for high-purity lithographic accessories including pellicles. As governments and chipmakers localize supply chains and reduce dependency on single-country sources, pellicle production is seeing geographic diversification and a shift toward regional sourcing strategies. This is creating opportunities for new players with material science expertise and vacuum manufacturing capabilities to enter the pellicle space.

Material innovation is another growth lever. Companies are actively pursuing ultra-thin, defect-free, and high-transmittance pellicle films based on silicon nitride, amorphous carbon, and fluoropolymer composites. Some developers are leveraging atomic layer deposition (ALD) and nanoimprint technologies to achieve pellicles that meet stringent optical, thermal, and mechanical performance specifications for advanced wafer fabs. These breakthroughs are expanding pellicle viability in both DUV and EUV processes.

What’s Driving the Global Demand for Pellicles in Semiconductor Manufacturing?

The growth in the pellicle market is driven by several factors including the widespread adoption of EUV lithography, increasing complexity of semiconductor nodes, and growing investments in fab infrastructure worldwide. A primary growth driver is the need for contamination control solutions that ensure consistent wafer yields, minimize downtime, and protect high-cost photomasks in an era of billion-dollar chip fabrication lines.

As Moore’s Law slows and the cost per node escalates, the role of protective infrastructure such as pellicles becomes more central to maintaining operational efficiency and product reliability. The pellicle market is also expanding through sustained R&D in thermal-resistant materials, low-distortion coatings, and pellicle frame innovations tailored for high-NA EUV tools.

With semiconductor innovation increasingly reliant on sub-nanometer precision and zero-defect execution, pellicles will remain mission-critical components in advanced lithographic ecosystems—supporting global chipmakers in their quest for ever-smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient processors.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Pellicle market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Lithography Technology Type (ArF, EUV, KrF); Application (IC Bumping, IC Foundry, IC Substrate, MEMS, LED Package)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 34 Featured) -

• 3M
• AGC Inc.
• ASML Holding N.V.
• Canatu
• Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
• DuPont
• Entegris, Inc.
• Fine Semitech Corp. (FST)
• Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
• Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.
• INKO Industrial Corporation
• Intel Corporation
• JTEKT Corporation
• Micro Lithography Inc.
• Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
• NEPCO
• SABIC
• Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Toppan Photomasks, Inc.

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