Entegris and JSR subsidiary Inpria have entered into a non-exclusive cross-license agreement for metal oxide resist (MOR) patents used in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. As part of the agreement, the pending inter partes review (IPR2025-00267) between the companies will also be terminated.
Scope of the Agreement
The cross-license covers three areas: MOR resist formulation, precursor synthesis, and ultra-high-purity filtration dedicated to MOR. MOR is being developed as a next-generation EUV resist alternative to conventional chemically amplified resists (CAR), and Inpria is known as one of the pioneering developers in the field. The agreement creates a framework in which Entegris, with strengths in filtration and materials, and Inpria, which develops the resist itself, can use each other's patents.
Ending the IP Dispute and Its Aim
The agreement will lead to the withdrawal of the pending IPR2025-00267 inter partes review. Both companies frame the collaboration as a strategic step to scale advanced EUV materials for the AI era, suggesting an intent to move material development forward after resolving patent uncertainty.
Background: High-NA EUV and the Challenge of MOR Production
As leading-edge logic and memory continue to scale and high-NA EUV ramps, MOR resists are expected to offer advantages such as high resolution and lower line-edge roughness. At the same time, defect and purity control have been viewed as obstacles to high-volume adoption. Clarifying intellectual property positions and building collaboration across the materials supply chain can be seen as groundwork for bringing MOR into production.
Implications for Procurement and Supply Chains
EUV resist is a strategic material supplied by a limited number of vendors, and IP disputes can become a source of supply chain uncertainty. This resolution and collaboration point to improved stability in advanced materials supply and progress toward MOR adoption, reducing one category of supply risk for teams responsible for advanced-node materials sourcing. Entegris has manufacturing and research sites in more than 10 countries and is said to employ about 7,700 people.