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M&A / Property

IRRESISTIBLE MATERIALS AND TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. (TOK) ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT AND JOINT DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE EUV LITHOGRAPHY

By The Northwire Desk — AI Analysis Feb 23, 2026 · 09:00 4186
4186 · Price

Executive Summary

  • Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TOK) is making a strategic financial investment in Irresistible Materials (IM) to co‑develop and commercialize IM’s patented Multi‑Trigger Resist (MTR™) platform for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
  • The partnership will accelerate MTR development, expand IM’s team and facilities in Birmingham, and leverage TOK’s world‑class manufacturing capacity for high‑volume production.
  • Both companies aim to deliver next‑generation EUV photoresist solutions that improve resolution, reduce line‑edge/line‑width roughness, increase sensitivity, and lower cost of ownership for semiconductor manufacturers.

Key Details

  • Investment Purpose: Funding will be used by IM to grow its Birmingham team, add equipment, materials, and facilities, and deepen collaborations with partners such as ASML and imec.
  • Technology Focus: MTR™ is a small‑molecule resist platform (molecular dimensions up to 10× smaller than conventional polymer resists) targeting both low‑NA and high‑NA EUV lithography, promising superior resolution, reduced LER/LWR, higher sensitivity, and lower CoO.
  • Commercialization Plan: TOK will incorporate MTR into its existing resist portfolio and employ its ISO‑certified quality control and large‑scale manufacturing capabilities to scale the material for high‑volume production.
  • Strategic Fit: The investment builds on prior funding IM received from Mercia Capital, UKRI, and angel investors; it aligns with TOK’s goal to broaden its product offering and meet industry demand for new EUV resist solutions.
  • Sustainability Objective: Joint R&D will pursue PFAS/PFOS‑free and metal‑free formulations, supporting cleaner semiconductor manufacturing.
  • Conference Presentation: IM will present a paper on MTR at the SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning Conference (San Jose, CA) on 24 Feb 2026, highlighting technical advances.
  • Quotes:
  • “We are very excited that TOK… has chosen to invest in and co‑develop our MTR platform…” – Dinesh Bettadapur, CEO, Irresistible Materials.
  • “By joining forces, we will accelerate the co‑development and commercialization of IM’s innovative MTR platform…” – Katsumi Ohmori, Executive Officer, TOK.

Notable Quotes

  • Dinesh Bettadapur (CEO, Irresistible Materials): “One of our key strengths that we bring to this partnership is our speed of innovation… TOK's manufacturing prowess and strong customer relationships are ideally suited to drive the rapid commercialization of our proprietary MTR material.”
  • Katsumi Ohmori (Executive Officer, R&D Division, TOK): “Through our collaboration, we will be able to co‑develop and commercialize IM's innovative MTR platform at a much faster pace and usher in a new era of photoresist technology that ultimately advances EUV lithography across the semiconductor industry.”
Read the original news release →