The Nikon eReview: Nikon Named Recipient of Prestigious Intel SCQI Award

Nikon recently received Intel Corporation’s prestigious Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) award recognizing world-class, outstanding performance in 2008. This award is Intel's highest honor for its suppliers, acknowledging extraordinary commitment to quality and exceptional performance for providing lithography scanners for technology development and high volume manufacturing deemed essential to Intel’s success. Nikon is among an elite group of only 14 suppliers globally to receive the SCQI award for 2008.

The SCQI award is part of Intel's Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement program, which encourages Intel's key suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for SCQI status, suppliers must score at least 95% on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and responsiveness goals. Suppliers must also manage and deliver on a challenging improvement plan and a quality/business systems assessment. This year's award recipients also had to demonstrate basic compliance to the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct and Intel's Green Sustainability Program.

Kazuo Ushida, President, Nikon Precision Equipment Company, stated "We set a goal to achieve Intel's highest supplier quality designation. We were awarded the Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award in 2007 and now have received the SCQI award for 2008. Nikon is honored to be recognized by Intel as an SCQI Supplier, which reflects our commitment to continuous support of Intel's technology needs, flawless ramp support, and systematic improvements in equipment availability. This is a credit to our worldwide Nikon team and to Intel for their continued support."

"Intel congratulates Nikon on achieving the SCQI award in 2008," said Janice Golda, Lithography Capital Equipment Development Director, Intel Corporation. "Nikon has provided excellent support to Intel to integrate new lithography technology, smoothly ramp new factories, and proactively support equipment reuse, all while simultaneously achieving our safety and sustainability goals. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship as we jointly address future lithography challenges."

SCQI award recipients were honored at recognition events held in Tokyo and Santa Clara, California.