The eBeam Initiative, a forum dedicated to the education and promotion of new semiconductor manufacturing approaches based on electron beam (eBeam) technologies, today announced the completion of its 14th annual eBeam Initiative Luminaries survey. Industry luminaries representing 51 companies from across the semiconductor ecosystem—including photomasks, electronic design automation (EDA), chip design, equipment, materials, manufacturing and research—participated in this year’s survey. The eBeam Initiative also announced that AGC has joined as its newest member.
Key Survey Takeaways
64 percent of the luminaries who responded to the survey predict that mask revenues in 2025 will increase compared to 2024, a sentiment that aligns with SEMI’s forecast of 5 percent year-over-year growth for 2025(1). In a new survey question, mask writing was ranked as the top priority for investment at the leading edge for 2026, followed closely by mask inspection and repair, and optical proximity correction (OPC)/inverse lithography technology (ILT). In a related question, 88 percent of luminaries who responded predict that multi-beam mask writer purchases will increase over the next three years.
EUV lithography and curvilinear masks are two significant technology trends impacting the photomask market. High-NA EUV lithography is targeted for the most advanced nodes and is under development. In a question about high-NA EUV’s impact on mask makers, 40 percent of luminaries now believe the minimum dimension of mask sub-resolution assist features (SRAFs) needed is 15nm or below, an increase from 29 percent last year. Turning to curvilinear masks, confidence continues to remain high for manufacturing curvilinear mask features, with 77 percent of respondents indicating that leading-edge mask shops can handle at least a limited number of curvilinear masks in high-volume manufacturing (HVM) by the end of next year.
The complete results of the Luminaries survey will be presented and discussed by an expert panel during a special eBeam Initiative event held this evening in conjunction with the SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography Conference in Monterey, Calif. Survey results will be available for download following the event at www.ebeam.org. AGC will also be recognized at the event as the newest member joining more than 50 companies in the eBeam Initiative.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome AGC to the eBeam Initiative,” stated Aki Fujimura, CEO of D2S, the managing company sponsor of the eBeam Initiative. “The continued growth of the photomask market highlights how essential every part of the mask supply chain has become to the rest of semiconductor manufacturing. As a leading provider of photomask substrates, AGC brings a unique perspective that will help strengthen our collective efforts to raise awareness and foster collaboration across the industry.”
Reference
(1) Source: Photomask Market Characterization Study, SEMI, August 8, 2025
