Belmont, California – October 18, 2007 – At the 4th International Symposium on Immersion Lithography held in Keystone, Colorado last week, Nikon Corporation and Toshiba Corporation announced 43 nm NAND Flash production would begin using the Nikon NSR-S610C ArF immersion scanner. The NSR-S610C (NA = 1.30), the world’s first 45 nm-capable immersion scanner, is targeted for mass production of 45 nm or smaller memory and 32 nm logic devices.
Starting with the NSR-S609B, the world’s first production immersion tool that started shipping in January of 2006, Nikon has consistently been first to market with immersion scanners for production. The NSR-610C began shipping in February of 2007 and was the first scanner capable of printing 45 nm half pitch patterns with sufficient process windows for volume production. The system uses proprietary Nikon Local Fill Technology, which is proven to eliminate scanner-induced immersion defects with no bubbles, water spots, or backside wafer contamination. This technology also eliminates evaporation of the immersion fluid, providing a critical advantage in preventing immersion related overlay problems. The S610C also incorporates the Nikon Tandem Stage design, which uses two stages with different functions to increase throughput, improve accuracy, and enhance long-term stability.
“By being first to market with a 45 nm production tool, we have enabled our customers to gain a clear competitive advantage” stated Kazuo Ushida, President of the Nikon Precision Equipment Company. “In lithography, time to market is critical and we’ve proven our ability to bring production worthy tools to the market faster than the competition.”
About Nikon
Since 1980, Nikon Corporation has been revolutionizing lithography with innovative products and technologies. The company is a worldwide leader in lithography equipment for the microelectronics manufacturing industry with more than 7,800 exposure systems installed worldwide. Nikon offers the most extensive selection of production-class steppers and scanners in the industry. These products serve the semiconductor, flat panel display (LCD) and thin-film magnetic head (TFH) industries. Nikon Precision Inc. provides service, training, applications and technical support, as well as sales and marketing for Nikon lithography equipment in North America. For more information about Nikon, access our web site at www.nikonprecision.com
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in condition, particularly those related to industry requirements and other risks. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
###
Contact:
Bernie Wood
Director of Marketing
Nikon Precision Inc.
(650) 413-8533 phone
bwood@nikon.com