Dry Etching Equipment Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), Capacitive Coupled Plasma (CCP), Reactive Ion Etching (RIE), Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) and Others), By Downstream Industry (Logic and Memory, MEMS, Power Device and Others), and Regional Forecast to 2035

DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT MARKET OVERVIEW

The global Dry Etching Equipment Market size estimated at USD 2165.98 million in 2026 and is projected to reach USD 2232.28 million by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 1.01% from 2026 to 2035.

The dry etching equipment market is very crucial for semiconductors because it provides accurate material interchange and differentiation mechanisms for circuits and micro-electronics. Among the etchings used one is Dry etching in which plasma is utilized to remove materials: this type of etching does not involve liquids and hence is cleaner than wet etching and very easily controlled as well. It is most commonly applied in the manufacturing of the minute and tight form factor packages needed in objects like smart phones, computers and IoTs. Availability and sales of dry etching equipment is expected to be accelerated by advances in semiconductor technologies, miniaturization, and growth of high performance devices in automobiles, telecommunications as well as in electronic industry. More specifically, the development of new types of etching processes and progression of fabrication technologies due to the growth of the general semiconductor industry, 5G, AI and electric vehicles advancement will drive the growth of the dry etching equipment in the future.

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DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT MARKET KEY FINDINGS

• Market Size and Growth: The Dry Etching Equipment Market size was USD 2122.88 Million in 2024, is projected to grow to USD 2133.33 Million by 2025 and exceed USD 2187.86 Million by 2033, with a CAGR of 1.01%.

• Key Market Driver: The semiconductor boom is still going strong—especially in advanced logic nodes. In fact, over 75% of high-precision chips under 10nm use dry etching processes, according to internal manufacturing data from TSMC and Samsung.

• Major Market Restraint: Equipment costs are brutal. A single high-end dry etcher can cost well over USD 2 million, making it tough for smaller fabs or newcomers to get a foot in the door without major capital backing.

• Emerging Trends: Atomic layer etching (ALE) is gaining traction, especially for complex 3D NAND and FinFET architectures. According to Applied Materials, ALE adoption rose 28% YoY in 2023 across tier-1 fabs.

• Regional Leadership: Asia-Pacific dominates—and that’s putting it lightly. With over 60% of semiconductor manufacturing concentrated in countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and China, the region continues to drive the bulk of demand for dry etching tools.

• Competitive Landscape: It’s mostly a three-horse race. Companies like Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and Hitachi High-Tech hold more than 80% of the total market share, giving them massive leverage in both pricing and innovation.

• Market Segmentation: The equipment is most commonly used in IC manufacturing, which accounts for nearly 70% of application-based demand, with display fabrication and MEMS coming in a distant second and third.

• Recent Development: In Q1 2024, Lam Research launched a new selective etching platform aimed at advanced packaging nodes, claiming 15% improved selectivity and 10% lower etch rate variance in trial fabs across the U.S. and South Korea.

GLOBAL CRISES IMPACTING DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT MARKET - COVID-19 IMPACT

"Dry etching equipment market had a negative effect due to disruption in supply chain during COVID-19 pandemic"

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with the market experiencing lower-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels. The sudden market growth reflected by the rise in CAGR is attributable to the market’s growth and demand returning to pre-pandemic levels.

The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted various regions and sections of the Dry Etching Equipment market share. Circuits attributed to shutdowns, global lockdowns, and interruption of the supply chain caused disruptions of the fabrication of semiconductor equipment and installation. Movement restrictions and workforce reductions continued to dampen manufacturing processes in addition to affecting employment opportunities of semiconductor foundries thereby affecting their ability to produce at optimum capacity. Also, changes in semiconductor consumption such as decreased consumption of consumer electronics most significantly during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic lesser global investments are made in new dry etching equipment technologies. Fluctuations in economic conditions around the world made the companies in the semiconductor industry to defer their capital spending in fiscal capital, thus slowing down the growth of the market. However, the effect of COVID on supply chain and overall manufacturing lead time created lasting issue for recovery of the dry etching equipment industry even electronics demand rebound in light of remote work and digital solutions.

LATEST TREND

"Industry analysis of dry etching equipment to Drive Market Growth"

One latest trend in the dry etching equipment market is the recent rise in the use of atomic layer etching technology. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a fine tuned etching process in which material is removed one atomic layer at a time, thus being very suitable for nanometre-measure devices. The trend of development in semiconductor industry is shifted to the production of complex micro chips and the traditional etching methods are exposed to difficulties in obtaining the necessary accuracy and regularity of structures. ALE solves such problems by providing better control of etch depth and profile that is vital for manufacturing devices in the 3nm process nodes and beyond. This method is especially useful in extruding next-generation transistors and three-dimensional memory products in that material elimination is the key to success. There is a rising need for high-performance computing, 5G technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for which ALE technology is becoming another well-known trend in the development of dry etching equipment.

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DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT MARKET SEGMENTATION

BY TYPE

Based on Type, the global market can be categorized into Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), Capacitive Coupled Plasma (CCP), Reactive Ion Etching (RIE), Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) and Others.

• Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP): ICP uses inductively generated plasma for high density ionization where etch rate and profile can easily be controlled from deep reactive etching of complex patterns.

• Capacitive Coupled Plasma (CCP): The CCP technology utilizes capacitive discharge to generate plasma used in shallow etching because of low ion density; it is rather used in applications with moderate accuracy needed.

• Reactive Ion Etching (RIE): RIE is a process in which the Material is etched by a chemical and Physical etching process using a reactive ion for material etching with very high selectivity to the Feature Size for microelectronics fabrication.

• Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE): DRIE is an enhanced RIE where structures with deep high aspect ratio trenches can be produced particularly for producing micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) and power electronics.

• Others: This category includes plasma etching or downstream etching which are used for applications that are not typical for more standard etching characteristics or conditions.

BY APPLICATION

Based on Industry Analysis, the global market can be categorized into Logic and Memory, MEMS, Power Device and Others.

• Logic and Memory: In this segment, dry etching is utilized in the making of different devices like Intermediate Intel effectively known as integrated ICs also includes central processing units and dynamic random-access memory devices, and micro etching for smaller transistors and complex structures like 3D NAND, FinFET etc.

• MEMS: Dry etching plays a critical role in developing some geometries of MEMS devices deployed in sensing and delicate moving components utilized in sensor and actuator applications, especially automobiles and healthcare.

• Power Device: For the fabrication of power devices such as MOSFETs and IGBTs, dry etching is utilized for the formation of high voltage and energy efficient devices for automotive, renewable energy and industrial application.

• Others: This industry entails etching for photonics, RF devices and compound semiconductors for uses in 5G, aerospace and optoelectronics, in which the consequence of the etching is highly sensitive to the etching process.

MARKET DYNAMICS

Market dynamics include driving and restraining factors, opportunities and challenges stating the market conditions.

DRIVING FACTORS

"Miniaturization of Semiconductor Devices to Boost the Market"

A factor in the Dry Etching Equipment market growth is the constant process improvement requiring ever smaller size but with higher power capability from semiconductor devices is another factor fuelling dry etching equipment demand. Since the manufacturing industries strive to continue applying Moore’s Law smaller and more advanced node sizes 7nm, 5nm and 3nm and more require sophisticated dry etching techniques. These technologies can allow very accurate forming of the patterns and removing the unwanted materials. They are necessary for the structures such as FinFETs and 3D NAND. The rapid call for high performing devices in computing, Artificial Intelligence, and 5G augments the market demand for miniaturization, which in consequence amplifies the market demand for efficient dry etching equipment aforementioned.

"Growing Demand for Consumer Electronics to Expand the Market"

Expanding consumer electronics market such as Smartphone’s, Wearable and IoT gadgets are forcing semiconductor manufacturing to adopt superior fabrication technology which requires enhanced Dry Etching Equipment. Customers are looking at devices that process faster and consume less energy hence next generation dry etching tools are being developed by the semiconductor firms. This demand is further driven by new applications such as EVs and smart home devices where high accuracy etching is needed for manufacturing the sophisticated chips required for these applications.

RESTRAINING FACTOR

"High Capital Investment Requirement Impede Market Growth"

A restraining factor in the dry etching equipment market is given by the high initial investment costs that companies have to face. Often, the equipment needed to etch semiconductors with enough precision to make the process worthwhile is too expensive for small manufacturers to purchase. However, there are even greater logistic and ongoing costs that bring the total cost of ownership higher. These are financial barriers since they slow the development of markets in the areas that often have scarce capital resources; companies may revert to more efficient but costly solutions, choosing cheaper but less effective ones.

OPPORTUNITY

"Rising Need for Miniature Electronic Products to Create Opportunity for the Product in the Market"

One of the many promising prospects for the industry is the continually growing application of miniaturized electronics. With the progressing miniaturization of portable devices including smart phones, wearable’s and an increasing number of IoT gadgets etching technologies become more demanding. Dry etching is more accurate and versatile as compared to wet etching for the fabrication of micro and mini part. This means that any company that is interested in venturing in this field can take advantage of the increasing market for electronics especially in the markets of consumer’s electronics and Telecommunication industries.

CHALLENGE

"Rating of Technological Complexity and Skill Shortage Could Be a Potential Challenge for Consumers"

Technological nature is one of the major key thrust that makes dry etching equipment market challenging; this is because it requires professionals to operate and maintain the machinery. Due to the complex technology involved in manufacturing processes and also due to the small size of the Semiconductors, it has always been a challenge to find qualified talented technicians. Such a situation of shortage of skills results to operational hitches, occasioning dawdling time, costs in terms of training, which hinders productivity and growth in the market.

 

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DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

NORTH AMERICA (U.S. COMPULSORY)

North America’s semiconductor manufacturing industry is considerably more progressive than other global areas; specifically in the U.S Dry Etching Equipment market .so North America dominates the dry etching equipment market for the said reasons. Several important industry leaders including Intel and Micron have made the region their home, thereby fuelling the need for sophisticated etching solutions. Also, high investment in research and development and government backing of the semiconductor business also aide the market’s growth. North America has good technological foundation and strong human resources, making it easier for the continent to embraced and also develop new technology in dry etching processes hence making the region to provide best high precision semiconductor fabrication

EUROPE

Europe is a key region for dry etching equipment and owns its presence to the automotive and industrial sectors. It is the automobile sector where complex semiconductor elements are rapidly becoming vital in powering EVs and self-driving technologies. Moreover, Europe’s robust industrial segment depends on efficient and accurate semiconductor equipment for automation and robotics. Dry etching equipment also benefits from Germany and France’s efforts in investing in indigenous semiconductor development as the push for local supplies remain strong. This effort for sustainable manufacturing also contributes to the advancement in green semiconductor technologies.

ASIA

Among the most dynamically growing segments, Asia remains on the first place in terms of dry etching equipment consumption as the region is the largest manufacturer of consumer electronics and semiconductors. Major semiconductor fabrication facilities are located in countries of Asia with Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan as the leaders, key companies being TSMC, Samsung, and SMIC. Further the regions ability to produce at a relatively low cost further fuelled by demand for electronics and advancement in technology and electronics makes it a key player in the market. Asia’s government policies and investment on local semiconductor industries enhance its position in dry etching equipment adoption & development.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

"Key Industry Players Shaping the Market through Innovation and Market Expansion"

Key industry players inside the dry etching equipment market consist of Lam Research Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL), and Applied Materials Inc. These companies are in fact specialising as premier suppliers of advanced dry etching services for the semiconductor industry. Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation and Plasma-Them LLC should also be included because they have high-quality superior complex tools and services in this field. These firms concentrate themselves in supplying accurate etching technologies required in miniaturized electronics, memory chips and logic products. Competition dynamics in the context of the industry is based on ongoing advances, investments in research and development as well as strategic collaborations to optimize the effectiveness of operation and effectiveness in the overall semiconductor fabrication.

LIST OF TOP DRY ETCHING EQUIPMENT COMPANIES

• TEL (Japan)

• Applied Materials (U.S.)

• GigaLane (South Korea)

• SAMCO (Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

In April 2024: Lam Research Corporation an American-Based company issued a key industrial notice concerning the development of new Sensi.Ion™ dry etching system. This is precise cutting equipment for intricate structures of material incorporated in the next generation of subtle semiconductor applications. The Sensi.Ion™ system aligns with the need for designing chips smaller than 10nm for artificial intelligence, fifth generation networks and deep learning. The innovation looks to increase the precision of etching while decreasing cost, in response to the current need for the creation of higher technology and miniature electronics devices.

REPORT COVERAGE

High growth exists in dry etching equipment market mainly because of the need for precision in semiconductor manufacturing processes especially where the technology is advanced such as in 5G technology, artificial intelligence and miniaturization of consumer products. Some of the main roles are expected to go to North America, Europe, and Asia; Asia will remain at the centre of the global semiconductor manufacturing site, while North America and Europe will focus on technology advances and automotive. However, there are some factors for instance; the start-up costs are high and it also needs professional technical staff to run. However, there are also good prospects, such as wearable electronics and electric cars since manufacturers remain highly active and develop new technologies. The fact is that such leading market players as Lam Research, Tokyo Electron, and Applied Materials are actively developing new solutions in the sphere of dry etching, which defines the high competitiveness of the market. In this case, it will be important to know that with the changes occurring within the semiconductor industry, dry etching will continue to play the crucial role of the fabrication process.