The shortage of pellicle protective film for chip production has led to an increase in the price of the product.

CTOnews.com, December 7, according to The Elec, pellicle protective films used in Arf and Krf lithography processes in wafer fabrication are in short supply. This is because more fab-free companies are on the rise in China every day, and overall demand for such goods is growing as chipmakers aim to develop new semiconductors.

In South Korea, only FST, which produces pellicle protective film, expects exports to increase by 50 per cent this year compared with 2021.

CTOnews.com learned that the pellicle protective film is used to protect the mask on the wafer from contamination during lithography. This allows chipmakers to use their masks for longer, thereby saving costs.

FST is a major local supplier, providing pellicle protective films to chip manufacturers based in Korea. Last year, exports accounted for 30% of its protective film revenue, but this year it is expected to increase to 40%.

A spokesman for FST said the rise in the price of raw materials was also due to the rise in prices, as well as mergers among Japanese protective film manufacturers that slowed the production of the goods.

Earlier this year, 3M had to close its plant in Belgium to comply with local environmental protection laws, which may be the main reason for the rise in raw material prices.

Many existing protective film manufacturers are also developing new pellicle protective films for advanced process nodes, reducing their overall production.