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With computerization relentlessly transforming every
aspect of society, the semiconductors that underpin this revolution are evolving
day by day. As the production equipment will secure the future of semiconductors,
semiconductor manufacturing systems are the focus of cutting-edge research and
technical development. In 1998, we commenced commercialization of electron beam
mask writers based on Toshiba Corporation technology, through Toshiba Machine
Co., Ltd.
NuFlare Technology was established in 2002 to develop, manufacture, market, and
service semiconductor manufacturing systems. Since then, our electron beam mask
writer technology has made further advances as a result of our original research
and development, and plays an important role throughout the world as a key semiconductor
manufacturing technology. |
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Although 50 years have passed since the invention of the IC (integrated circuit) by Texas Instruments, the semiconductor industry remains a growth industry. Today, the value of the semiconductor market is estimated at around \25 trillion a year. LSI’s (large-scale integrated circuits) are now embedded in all kinds of electronic equipment and demand for semiconductors, an essential part of communications equipment, consumer electronics, and automotive electronics, is expected to continue growing.
According to a road map (Moore’s Law) espoused by Gordon Moore, co-founder of
Intel, the level of semiconductor integration doubles about every two years. Moore’s
road map is not simply a technology prediction. It clarifies to all developers
in the semiconductor field, whether device makers or equipment manufacturers,
the issues to be solved and time limits for reaching goals, and forces them to
focus on next-generation technologies. Our electron beam mask writer has steadily
progressed from the 180-nm, and the 130-nm, to the 90-nm generation, and has been
successful in pushing semiconductor technology forward from the viewpoint of semiconductor
photomask manufacturing. To overcome the checks imposed by the semiconductor design
rules that will become the standards of the future, we are committed to always
remaining at the cutting edge. |
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