Metal oxide nanoparticle resists have attracted much attention as the next-generation resist used for the high-volume production of semiconductor devices. However, the sensitization mechanism of the metal oxide nanoparticle resists is unknown. Understanding the sensitization mechanism is important for the efficient development of resist materials. In this study, the energy deposition in a zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) nanoparticle resist was investigated. The numbers of electron-hole pairs generated in a ZrO 2 core and an methacrylic acid (MAA) ligand shell upon exposure to 1 mJ cm %2 (exposure dose) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiations were theoretically estimated to be 0.16 at most and 0.04-0.17 cm 2 mJ %1 , respectively. By comparing the calculated distribution of electron-hole pairs with the line-and-space patterns of the ZrO 2 nanoparticle resist fabricated by an EUV exposure tool, the number of electron-hole pairs required for the solubility change of the resist films was estimated to be 1.3-2.2 per NP. NP denotes a nanoparticle consisting of a metal oxide core with a ligand shell. In the material design of metal oxide nanoparticle resists, it is important to efficiently use the electron-hole pairs generated in the metal oxide core for the chemical change of ligand molecules.