Canon `Optics Forever' Pushes Excellence At Every Node.

Business and Technology Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 2002

SPIE Presentations Address Need For Incremental And Periodic Gains

In Lithography Technology Through Internal, Joint Efforts

For semiconductor chip makers, each move to greater circuit density means a decision must be made to either integrate a new imaging technology node or incrementally enhance an established one, according to Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry. Canon is addressing this subject in several forums during this week's SPIE 2002 Microlithography Symposium in Santa Clara, California.

"Both approaches are increasingly costly," said Naoki Ayata, senior vice president and general manager, Semiconductor Equipment Division, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. "The cost is not just for equipment but also because customers want an integrated, automated, optimized solution. So 'optics forever' means we will forever be working more closely with others -- in R&D, process and product development, delivery, implementation and ramp-up."

Canon has arranged a special session during the symposium to emphasize such collaborative work. The session includes presentations by resist maker Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK) and the AMAT Equipment and Process Integration Center, a new technology development center that uses Canon steppers for lithography.

During the presentation, Canon also will report on its new development in the area of reticle enhancement techniques. Dr. Akiyoshi Suzuki, general manager, Optics Technology Research Center, Canon Inc., will outline a single-exposure method capable of resolving contact holes of 100nm or smaller using 248nm technology.

"We will discuss the principle and show exposure results for this new single-mask technology, which, by optimizing illumination conditions, can produce resolution comparable to IDEAL," said Dr. Suzuki. IDEAL (Innovative Double Exposure by Advanced Lithography) is the double-exposure method introduced by Canon at SPIE in 1999.

In one of its two exposure tool update presentations, Canon will discuss refinements of the lens system in its newest 193nm scanner, the FPA-5000AS3. This high NA (0.75) ArF scanner is part of Canon's new 300mm tool set along with the FPA-5000ES4 KrF scanner (0.80 NA) and two i-line steppers.

Ray Morgan, strategic marketing manager, Semiconductor Equipment Division, Canon U.S.A., said both new scanners feature an extremely low aberration lens system that allows maximum extension of process capabilities and are built on a fourth-generation scanning platform having 350mm/sec reticle and wafer stage scan speed.

Canon also will report on the development of its F2 exposure system -- a full field high NA system targeting the 70nm node. The presentation will cover progress during the past year, with emphasis on projection optics and environment control -- two key problems remaining in F2 tool development.

Phillip M. Ware, senior fellow, lithography strategy for Canon U.S.A.'s Semiconductor Equipment Division, said much of Canon's rapid progress in overcoming the two major F2 problem areas --generally involving lens coating and chamber purging with highly purified gasses -- is the result of the extensive IP it developed through work with x-ray imaging technology. Canon announced last year that it had found a practical answer to suppress the effect of intrinsic birefringence in high NA 157nm lens systems.

Canon has been working in a joint effort with Infineon Technologies to accelerate the development of 157nm lithography systems and the subsequent introduction of these systems in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices by early 2005. In the Spring 2002 issue of Canon U.S.A.'s SubMicron Focus, Canon acknowledges recent accomplishments in the search for a commercial 157nm resist by the ISMT University 157nm Photoresist Research Project.

In tandem with its "optics forever" lithography initiatives, Canon also is pursuing next generation lithography (NGL) technologies. Last year, Canon announced it had committed substantial resources to its extreme ultra violet (EUV) program and to the development of multi-column electron beam projection technology for maskless lithography.

The Semiconductor Equipment Division of Canon U.S.A., Inc., based in San Jose, California, supplies step-and-repeat and step-and-scan photolithography tools for making integrated circuits including MR and GMR thin film heads for hard disk drives, and large active matrix liquid crystal flat panel displays.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. is an industry leader in professional and consumer imaging solutions and, through its parent company, Canon Inc., is a top patent-holder of imaging technologies. Canon employs 12,000 people at more than 30 facilities throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Canon Inc., comprising all Canon Group operations, is a $24-billion company with 78,000 employees. Its headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan, with approximately 80 sales companies, manufacturing companies and R&D centers worldwide.

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Canon U.S.A. Web site: http://www.usa.canon.com