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Mitsubishi Chemical subsidiary Gelest partners with IBM to test dry resist EUV lithography precursors
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Gelest, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical, has partnered with IBM to test precursors for dry resist EUV lithography, a key technology for advancing semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Context
Mitsubishi Chemical Group subsidiary Gelest has entered a strategic research agreement with IBM to test precursor materials for dry resist EUV lithography. This partnership, announced in February 2026, focuses on moving away from traditional liquid-based resists toward vapor-deposited "dry" technology. This transition is vital for manufacturing chips at the 2nm process node and below, as dry resist technology offers superior resolution and improves material efficiency by 5 to 10 times compared to conventional spin-on methods.
The collaboration utilizes IBM’s advanced lithography capabilities at its Albany research hub, which currently hosts the only public High-NA EUV center in North America. For investors, this move secures Mitsubishi Chemical's role in the critical AI and DRAM supply chains. By optimizing these chemical precursors, the companies aim to reduce defect density and boost yields for the high-performance processors required for future AI infrastructure, with commercial scaling expected through 2026 and 2027.
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