The Nikon eReview Fall 2009

Product Update
	Ultra-high Productivity Dry Steppers and Scanners: The "Work Horses" of the Fab

Customer Support Programs
	Eliminating the Risk of Used Equipment

Innovations and Enhancements
	E-Diagnostic Systems from Nikon Keep NSRs Operating at Peak Condition

Featured Articles
	Wafer Defect Inspection and Review Advances to Address Cost and Productivity Challenges in the Fab
	Light Source Innovations to Enhance Fab Productivity and Lower Cost of Ownership

News
	Innovations Abound at SEMICON West 2009
	NSR-S610C Selected as Editors' Choice Best Products Winner
	Save the Date for LithoVision 2010

View Past Issues

Dear Reader,

In today's highly competitive market, the success of your fab requires the best equipment and customer service possible, at the most competitive prices – regardless of whether your manufacturing plan calls for new or used lithography systems. In addition, you need proven, reliable suppliers that minimize installation and maintenance risks, and deliver continuous innovations to boost fab productivity and extend system lifetimes.

Nikon's ongoing commitment to equipment excellence was recognized at SEMICON West where the NSR-S610C immersion scanner was selected as an Editors' Choice Best Products Winner for 2009 by Semiconductor International magazine, and again at SEMICON Europa where the NSR-S310F ArF scanner was chosen as a winner in the 2009 EuroAsia IC Industry Award competition. We are also dedicated to partnering with our customers through these challenging economic conditions, and we've developed a variety of internal tools, as well cost-effective solutions, to minimize fab risk and enhance tool performance. Highlights of a few of these programs and offerings are featured in this edition of the Nikon eReview. We are also pleased to include invited articles from Cymer and KLA-Tencor discussing innovative solutions they have developed to optimize fab productivity and reduce costs for IC manufacturers.

We sincerely appreciate your feedback on how we can better support our customers, and encourage you to respond to the Nikon eReview (npicom@nikon.com) with your comments.

Ultra-high Productivity Dry Steppers and Scanners: The "Work Horses" of the Fab
	Although there is a great deal of industry focus on immersion lithography at 45 nm and beyond, the bulk of IC manufacturing today is occurring at larger geometries using ultra-high productivity "dry" steppers and scanners. ArF and KrF scanners are being used in fabs worldwide to process more than 2700 wafers per day, with i-line steppers delivering more than 4400 wafers per day.
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Eliminating the Risk of Used Equipment
	The majority of IC layers do not require cutting-edge lithography systems, and used equipment can be a cost-effective solution for meeting less critical capacity requirements. However, acquiring used steppers and scanners often involves a tradeoff between cost and risk. Nikon offers flexible solutions for fabs to acquire lower-priced used litho equipment, with minimized risk.
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E-Diagnostic Systems from Nikon Keep NSRs Operating at Peak Condition
	As we continue to move to smaller geometries, lithography equipment has become more complex and increasingly expensive. To help customers keep their NSRs operating at peak condition with the maximum availability, Nikon developed a suite of powerful diagnostic and performance monitoring solutions to maximize NSR uptime, productivity, and yield.
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Wafer Defect Inspection and Review Advances to Address Cost and Productivity Challenges in the Fab
	With the beginning economic recovery and a tentative increase in consumer demand over the past quarter, fabs are once again thinking about maximizing the productivity of their capital equipment as they ramp manufacturing. This invited article from KLA-Tencor focuses on innovations for wafer defect inspection and review systems that enhance fab efficiency and yield.
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Light Source Innovations to Enhance Fab Productivity and Lower Cost of Ownership
	As chipmakers continue to reduce feature sizes and shrink CDs on the wafer to meet customer needs, Cymer is developing light sources that enable advanced lithography, and introducing innovations to improve productivity, wafer yield, and cost of ownership.
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Innovations Abound at SEMICON West 2009
	In addition to our exhibit this year, we were pleased to participate in several key industry events with our partners at SEMI, KLA-Tencor, and SOKUDO. Nikon Technologists delivered a variety of presentations on the NSR-S620 and ultra-high throughput double patterning immersion lithography, as well as advanced imaging solutions such as OPE automatching and source mask optimization.
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NSR-S610C Selected as Editors' Choice Best Products Winner
	The Nikon NSR-S610C ArF immersion scanner was selected as an Editors' Choice Best Products Winner for 2009 by Semiconductor International magazine. This prestigious annual awards program honors products, materials, or services used in semiconductor manufacturing and related industries for their excellence.
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Save the Date for LithoVision 2010
	LithoVision is the premier technical event that brings industry experts together to share their insights and provide a view into the exciting future of lithography. Preparations are already well underway for LithoVision 2010, which will be held Sunday, February 21 in downtown San Jose, California.
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