Competition for market share intense in semiconductor chemicals and materials sectors

Dr. Robert Castellano, The Information Network

NEW TRIPOLI, USA: Semiconductor chemicals and materials market leaders continue to holding onto razor thin leadership positions, and exchange rates can play a big part, according to the report “Chemicals and Materials for Sub-100 nm IC Manufacturing.”

Market share differences between the top two leaders in four major chemical and material sectors is less than 3.4 percent. In three out of the four sectors, the top leaders are in different countries, so that swings in exchange rates will readily tip the scale. Coincidently, a strong dollar will make US goods more expensive to foreign purchasers.Source: The Information Network.

For these sectors and photoresist (market share spread is 10 percent), the global market was $11.2 billion in 2009, a decrease of 33.4 percent, primarily due to a decrease of 41.6 percent in the silicon wafer sector, which represented 59.9 percent of the total chemical and material market based on these sectors.

We anticipate the market to increase more than 20 percent in 2010 and more than 15 percent in 2011.