Stepper Family suits nanotechnology applications.

Press Release Summary:



NanoTech(TM) 100 offers 1.0 or 0.8 micron lens options, Machine Vision System (MVS), and PC controller. NanoTech 160 is available with 2.0, 1.0, or 0.8 micron lens. NanoTech 190 offers 2.0 or 1.0 micron lens and application-specific, air-bearing rowbar patterning system. Designed for processing thick and thin films, NanoTech 200 features 1.4 or 1.0 micron lens options. With production resolution of 0.75 or 1.0 micron, NanoTech 200i suits high-throughput applications.



Original Press Release:



Ultratech Unveils First Line of Nanotechnology Lithography Steppers



New NanoTech(TM) Family Builds on Ultratech's Proven Technology Expertise To Provide Highly Flexible, Productive and Cost-Effective Steppers for Emerging Markets

SAN JOSE, Calif., SEMICON West 2002, July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ultratech Stepper, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTEK), a leading supplier of photolithography systems used to manufacture semiconductors and nanotechnology devices, today launched a new line of steppers specifically targeted toward the core process requirements being driven by the transition to nanotechnology. Ultratech's new NanoTech(TM) stepper family comprises five products, each based on one of Ultratech's existing lithography systems, with features designed to address key challenges associated with handling and processing materials used in a variety of nanotechnology applications. Beta testing of the NanoTech family is scheduled to begin in the Q4 2002 timeframe, with production versions available by January 2003.

The nanotechnology arena encompasses microsystems technologies (MST), microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-optoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) markets that, together, are currently valued at approximately $14 billion and are expected to reach $34 billion by 2006, according to industry market research firm Venture Development Corp. (Natick, Mass.). Ultratech's systems already have been successfully implemented in a number of these markets, such as thin-film heads for data storage, micronozzles for inkjet print heads and accelerometers for automotive airbags, as well as several other emerging markets in sensors, optical and RF applications. However, manufacturers working on next-generation products in these arenas face increasing process challenges, including exposing into deep trenches; aligning to non-standard targets or to both the front and back sides of the wafer; and a variety of handling difficulties related to materials, including fragile III-Vs, very thick photoresists, and thick, thin, bowed and/or bonded wafers.

To address these challenges, Ultratech has created a line of new products, based on its robust, high-performance 1X steppers and configured to meet a range of divergent manufacturing, cost and technological needs for the nanotechnology era. According to Doug Anberg, Ultratech's senior director of product marketing, the NanoTech product family is a logical extension of Ultratech's historical commitment to meeting customers' stringent performance and flexibility requirements. "With our extensive experience in the industry and throughout the evolution of MEMS, MST, and now nanotechnologies, we are uniquely positioned to anticipate and respond to the emerging needs of nanotechnology product manufacturers," said Anberg. "Our steppers have proven advantages over scanners and aligners-including high productivity, reliability, flexibility, robustness and cost of ownership, which are important for these advanced markets as they move toward high-volume production."

NanoTech Stepper Family
-- NanoTech 100 -- Features include 1.0- or 0.8-micron lens options, Machine Vision System (MVS) and PC controller.
-- NanoTech 160 -- Features 2.0-, 1.0- or optional 0.8-micron lens; ideally suited for processing inkjet print heads, microactuators, optical components and back-side via applications.
-- NanoTech 190 -- Features 2.0- or 1.0-micron lens options and an improved, application-specific, air-bearing rowbar patterning system.
-- NanoTech 200 -- Is designed for processing both thick and thin films used in such products as planar lightwave circuits for optical technology applications. Features 1.4- or 1.0-micron lens options.
-- NanoTech 200i -- Features production resolution of 0.75 or 1.0 micron; for use in high-throughput applications such as advanced inkjet print head and arrayed waveguide manufacturing.

Ultratech's line of photolithography steppers for semiconductor and nanotechnology manufacturing will be on display in its booth #2516 at the front-end segment of SEMICON West, July 22-24, at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center.

About Ultratech: Founded in 1979, Ultratech Stepper, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets photolithography equipment used worldwide in the fabrication of semiconductor and nanotechnology devices. The company produces products designed to substantially reduce the cost of ownership for manufacturers in the electronics industry. The company's home page on the World Wide Web is located at www.ultratech.com.

CONTACT: Bruce R. Wright, Senior Vice President & CFO, or Laura Rebouche, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, +1-408-321-8835, or fax, +1-408-577-3379, or lrebouche@corp.ultratech.com, both of Ultratech Stepper, Inc.

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