Japan Strengthens Semiconductor Core Material Competitiveness... Acquires Photoresist Leader 'JSR'

100% Acquisition of JSR Shares Listed on the Japanese Stock Market

JSR, the No. 1 company in the photoresist (photosensitive material) market, a core semiconductor material, has expressed support for the public tender offer by Japan's sovereign wealth fund, the Japan Innovation Corporation (JIC). JIC plans to convert JSR into a private company and strengthen semiconductor material competitiveness under national leadership.

[Image source=Pixabay]

On the 26th, Japanese media such as Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Kyodo News reported that JSR announced its support for JIC's public tender offer. The announcement included that JIC will publicly purchase 100% of JSR shares listed on the Japanese stock market.

JIC will invest more than 900 billion yen for the public tender offer. The timing of the tender offer is scheduled for around the end of December. Once this process is completed, JSR shares are expected to be delisted. JIC plans to convert JSR into a private company and enhance the competitiveness of the semiconductor materials industry.

JSR is the leading company in the semiconductor photoresist field. Semiconductor chips are created through a process of drawing numerous circuits on silicon material wafers, and the material used to draw these circuits is photoresist.

Infographic related to photoresist used in semiconductor processes / [Image source=Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Newsroom]

JSR holds nearly a 30% share of the global photoresist market. It is also one of the few companies supplying photoresist used in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment for advanced semiconductor production.

JIC is a fund launched by Japan in 2018 to foster new industries. Although private companies such as Toyota Motor Corporation and Sony have made some investments, most of the funds come from the Japanese government. On the 16th, the Japanese government decided at a Cabinet meeting to expand the semiconductor manufacturing base, a strategic material for Japan, and to cultivate talent.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.