Nikon ships new immersion scanner

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Nikon Corp said Thursday that the NSR-S621D ArF immersion scanner began shipping to IC manufacturers in January to deliver ultra-high productivity and superior overlay accuracy for the most demanding immersion double patterning layers.

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The S621D is the latest evolution of the Streamlign Platform, which is already employed globally for NSR-S620D immersion scanners, and was also recently integrated in the leading-edge NSR-S320F dry ArF scanner. The successful combination of Stream Alignment and Five-Eye FIA systems enables world-class throughput of 200 wafers per hour (125 exposure shots/wafer). In addition, the proven Bird’s Eye Control system uses interferometers in conjunction with encoders to deliver overlay accuracy ≤ 2 nm with optimal stability, while the mature Modular2 Structure simplifies installation and maintenance functions.

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The semiconductor industry is currently transitioning to development and high volume manufacturing of 20 nm generation process devices, with the most critical layers exposed using ArF immersion scanners and incorporating double patterning (DP). In order to minimize costs, productivity and yield are of vital importance to IC makers.

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The S621D builds upon the established Streamlign Platform, incorporating further hardware and software developments to deliver industry-leading overlay accuracy and throughput. The NSR-S621D is the most advanced scanner for high volume immersion applications, and fully satisfies the aggressive requirements of DP manufacturing.

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