MicroChemicals
MicroChemicals GmbH is a German specialty chemicals supplier founded in 2001, offering photoresists, solvents, etchants, and wafers for photolithography and microstructuring to research institutes and production facilities worldwide, via direct e-commerce and distribution partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersNeu-ulm, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What MicroChemicals does
MicroChemicals GmbH is a German specialty chemicals distributor and repackager founded in 2001 in Ulm by managing directors Dr.-Ing. Christian Koch and Dr.-Ing. Titus J. Rinke. The company supplies photoresists, developers, anti-reflective coatings, removers/strippers, solvents, etchants, electroplating products, and silicon/quartz/glass wafers to research institutes, start-ups, and small-to-large production facilities engaged in photolithography, microelectronics, micromechanics, microoptics, and microfluidics. It operates as the official distribution partner for Merck Performance Materials GmbH's AZ photoresist product line and for TECHNIC France's process chemicals, while also producing its own MC-brand isopropanol and acetone in ULSI purity since 2018. The company holds ISO 9001 certification (since 2001/2002) and runs a class 10 clean room for repackaging photoresists into smaller sales units tailored to research customers.
MicroChemicals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MicroChemicals
- Legal name
- MicroChemicals GmbH
- Website
- https://microchemicals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MicroChemicals GmbH is a German specialty chemicals supplier founded in 2001, offering photoresists, solvents, etchants, and wafers for photolithography and microstructuring to research institutes and production facilities worldwide, via direct e-commerce and distribution partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MicroChemicals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Chemicals for Semiconductor Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Photoresists & Lithography Chemicals (Resists/Developers/Anti-Reflective Coatings) (HDAHAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wet Process Chemicals (Etchants/Cleaners/Strippers/SC-1/SC-2/BOE) (HDAHAGAF), Electronic-Grade Solvents, Filtration & Purification (UHP Solvents/Filters/Resins) (HDAHAGAO), Electronic & High-Purity Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAD)
Keywords
Where MicroChemicals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Neu-ulm
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
MicroChemicals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chemical Product Sales: Sale of speciality chemicals for lithography including photoresists, developers, anti-reflective coatings, removers, adhesion promoters, solvents, acids, bases, and etching mixtures in semiconductor quality grades.
- Wafer Sales: Sale of silicon wafers, quartz wafers, fused silica wafers, and borosilicate glass wafers with various specifications.
- Electroplating Products: Sale of electrolytes, anode materials and additives for electroplating applications.
- Packaging Sales: Sale of wafer packaging and bottles for chemical storage and shipping.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing with registration required |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
MicroChemicals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MicroChemicals GmbH supplies photoresists, developers, anti-reflective coatings, removers/strippers, high-purity solvents, etchants, electroplating chemistries, and silicon/quartz/fused silica/borosilicate glass wafers in semiconductor quality grades (MOS, VLSI, ULSI) for photolithography and microstructuring applications. The company serves research institutes, start-ups, and small to large production facilities worldwide, offering customized container sizes and technical consultation as the official distribution partner of Merck Performance Materials (AZ products) and TECHNIC France.
Product overview
MicroChemicals is a specialty chemicals and wafer supplier for microstructuring and lithography applications. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio centered around photolithography chemicals including photoresists (positive, negative, and image reversal types from the AZ brand as official Merck distributor), developers (metal ion free and containing formulations), anti-reflective coatings, removers/strippers (including AZ and TechniStrip product lines), and high-purity solvents (VLSI/ULSI quality such as PGMEA, Acetone, IPA, MEK, DMSO). The product range extends to etchants (acids, bases, etching mixtures), electroplating products (electrolytes, anodes, additives), and various wafer substrates (silicon, quartz, fused silica, borosilicate glass) with optional coatings. The company also provides packaging solutions, technical information materials, and technical support services. Founded in 2001, MicroChemicals serves research institutes, start-ups, and production facilities in semiconductor and microelectronics industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Photoresists Light-sensitive polymers used in photolithography for patterning substrates, available in positive, negative, and image reversal formulations. Includes the AZ photoresist line distributed officially from Merck Performance Materials GmbH for almost every application.
- Developers Chemical solutions for developing exposed photoresist patterns during photolithography, available in metal-ion-free (MIF) and metal-ion-containing (MIC) formulations, including AZ developer.
- Anti-Reflective Coatings Coatings applied beneath photoresist to reduce reflections and improve pattern fidelity during lithography exposure.
- Removers and Strippers Chemical solutions for removing photoresist after processing, including AZ 100 Remover, AZ Remover 910, AZ Remover 920, and the TechniStrip series (DMSO-based and NMP-free formulations such as TechniStrip Micro D350 and TechniStrip P1331).
- Adhesion Promoters Chemical agents applied to substrates to improve adhesion of photoresist during photolithography processing.
- High-Purity Solvents High-purity solvents in VLSI and ULSI quality including PGMEA (AZ EBR Solvent), Acetone, Isopropyl Alcohol, MEK, Methanol, MIBK, Cyclopentanone, DMSO, and n-Butylacetate, used for dilution and edge bead removal of AZ and TI photoresists. Includes own MC-grade isopropanol and acetone produced in ULSI purity since 2018.
- Etchants Acids, bases, and etching mixtures in VLSI quality for wet chemical etching of silicon, gold, aluminium, chrome and other materials used in microstructuring, including chromate etching solutions and TechniClean CA25 post-etch residue remover distributed via TECHNIC France.
- Electroplating Products Electrolytes (plating solutions), anode materials, and additives for micro electroplating applications in microelectronics and microstructuring.
- Silicon Wafers Silicon substrates supplied in different specifications for semiconductor processing and microstructuring applications.
- Quartz Wafers Quartz substrates supplied for high-temperature processes and applications requiring UV transparency.
- Fused Silica Wafers High-purity amorphous silicon dioxide substrates supplied for microstructuring applications requiring excellent optical properties.
- Borosilicate Glass Wafers Borosilicate glass substrates supplied for microstructuring applications requiring low thermal expansion.
- Pre-Coated Wafers Pre-coated wafer substrates supplied for specific process requirements in microstructuring and semiconductor processing.
- Wafer Packaging Specialized packaging solutions supplied for safe storage and transport of wafers.
- Chemical Bottles Chemical containers supplied in various sizes for specialty chemicals storage and shipping.
Companies that use MicroChemicals
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MicroChemicals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MicroChemicals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Merck Performance Materials GmbHcoreOfficial distribution partner for AZ products (formerly Electronic Materials). Provides photoresists for almost every application, as well as auxiliary chemicals including AZ thinner (edge stripping media), AZ developer, and AZ resist remover (stripper/remover).
- TECHNIC FrancecoreDistribution partner for process chemicals including acetone, isopropanol, hydrochloric acid, chromate etching solution in VLSI quality, as well as other acids, alkalis, solvents and etching mixtures in semiconductor quality.
- Regional Distribution PartnersminorDistribution partners in various countries including Australia (AU), New Zealand (NZ), Denmark (DK), Finland (FI), Israel (IL), and Sweden (SE) for regional sales and support.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
MicroChemicals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Entegris: Supplies specialty chemicals, materials, and fluid handling solutions to semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturers, including high-purity solvents and process chemicals. Comparable in customer base and product category, at much larger scale.
- Merck KGaA (Performance Materials / Electronics): Merck Performance Materials is the principal supplier of MicroChemicals' flagship AZ photoresist line and a direct competitor in the broader electronic chemicals market. It manufactures and sells photoresists, developers, and specialty materials globally to both research and production customers.
- Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK): One of the world's largest dedicated photoresist manufacturers, supplying semiconductor, MEMS, and display customers directly. It competes with MicroChemicals' distributed AZ portfolio, particularly for high-volume fab customers.
- Shin-Etsu Chemical: Global chemical and silicon wafer producer with a leading photoresist business alongside wafers, photomask blanks, and rare-earth materials. Comparable in scope to MicroChemicals' combined chemicals-plus-wafers offering, but at vastly larger scale.
- JSR Corporation: Major global photoresist and electronic materials manufacturer, including EUV chemistries. Competes with MicroChemicals' portfolio across semiconductor and microelectronics customers, with deeper R&D and direct fab relationships.
- Sumitomo Chemical: Manufactures photoresists (notably for display and semiconductor applications) along with a broad range of industrial chemicals. Competes with MicroChemicals in the resist and ancillary chemicals space, particularly in Asian markets.
- Fujifilm Electronic Materials: Fujifilm's electronic materials division manufactures photoresists, developers, cleaners, and strippers for semiconductor and display customers. Directly overlaps MicroChemicals' core photochemical product range, including TechniStrip-style strippers.
- DuPont Electronics & Industrial: Supplies photoresists, advanced lithography materials, and electronic chemicals to semiconductor and PCB manufacturers. Overlaps directly with MicroChemicals' AZ and ancillary chemical categories, with strong R&D and direct-customer relationships.
Direct peers
- Technic Inc. Technic France is MicroChemicals' distribution partner for process chemicals (acetone, IPA, acids, etchants) and via its US parent also manufactures and supplies electroplating chemistries, strippers, and post-etch residue removers serving the same microstructuring and semiconductor customer base.
- Avantor: Global distributor and manufacturer of specialty chemicals, including high-purity solvents, etchants, and process chemicals for semiconductor and electronics customers. Mirrors MicroChemicals' role as a specialty chemicals value-added distributor with repackaging and grade differentiation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MicroChemicals social profiles
Digital presenceMicroChemicals compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
MicroChemicals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MicroChemicals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
MicroChemicals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MicroChemicals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MicroChemicals
What does MicroChemicals do?
MicroChemicals GmbH supplies photoresists, developers, anti-reflective coatings, removers/strippers, high-purity solvents, etchants, electroplating chemistries, and silicon/quartz/fused silica/borosilicate glass wafers in semiconductor quality grades (MOS, VLSI, ULSI) for photolithography and microstructuring applications. The company serves research institutes, start-ups, and small to large production facilities worldwide, offering customized container sizes and technical consultation as the official distribution partner of Merck Performance Materials (AZ products) and TECHNIC France.
Is MicroChemicals a public or private company?
MicroChemicals is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MicroChemicals founded?
MicroChemicals was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MicroChemicals based?
MicroChemicals is headquartered in Neu-ulm, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does MicroChemicals make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Chemical Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are wafer Sales, electroplating Products and packaging Sales.
Who are MicroChemicals's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Entegris, Merck KGaA (Performance Materials / Electronics), Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK), Shin-Etsu Chemical, JSR Corporation, Sumitomo Chemical, Fujifilm Electronic Materials and DuPont Electronics & Industrial. Direct peers are Technic Inc. and Avantor.
Does MicroChemicals have an API?
No public API is recorded for MicroChemicals.
What industry is MicroChemicals in?
MicroChemicals's product category is Specialty Chemicals for Semiconductor Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAGAE, Photoresists & Lithography Chemicals (Resists/Developers/Anti-Reflective Coatings), with a secondary code of HDAHAGAF, Wet Process Chemicals (Etchants/Cleaners/Strippers/SC-1/SC-2/BOE). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2890.