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Qnity Electronics, Inc., a premier technology solutions leader across the semiconductor value chain, announced it has been recognized with the prestigious 2026 Heroes of Chemistry Award for breakthrough innovation in advancing sustainability for the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing.
“Qnity has a proven track record of delivering innovations that have powered major advances in semiconductors and advanced electronics,” said Randal King, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer at Qnity. “Today, our team is accelerating that momentum. This breakthrough in photoresist materials was achieved years ahead of expectations, and we’re proud to introduce a class of new lithography solutions that advance sustainability while maintaining or improving performance.”
As semiconductor technologies become more complex, advances in materials are playing an increasingly critical role in shaping how next-generation devices are developed and manufactured. This award recognizes a team of Qnity researchers and engineers whose work has enabled a new class of non-fluorine lithography solutions that meet the demanding performance requirements of advanced chip production while advancing the industry’s move toward more sustainable manufacturing.
The honored team includes Emad Aqad, James Cameron, Hua Dong, Huan He, Kenneth Hernandez, Paul LaBeaume, Joseph Lachowski, Christopher Laurel, Mingqi Li, Cong Liu, Hannah Mackay, Tomas Marangoni, Gregory Prokopowicz, Edon Vitaku, Qiuzhe Xie, Wenxu Zhang, and Le Zhou.
Their innovation has enabled non-fluorine offerings across Qnity’s flagship photoresist platforms, beginning with the launch of UV™ 26GNF photoresist and extending to UV™ photoresists for KrF lithography and Epic™ IM photoresists for ArF immersion lithography. Further expansion to the Eon™ platform for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is in development.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Heroes of Chemistry Award honors teams whose innovations have achieved both technical excellence and commercial impact, delivering tangible benefits to society. The award will be presented on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at a ceremony during the 2026 ACS Fall Meeting in Chicago.
