News Release

NEXT-GENERATION OPTICAL WAFER INSPECTION SYSTEM CO-DEVELOPED BY HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES AND TOKYO SEIMITSU

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation and Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. have jointly developed a new optical wafer inspection system, the HA-3000, for examination of semiconductor fabrication process nodes of 90nm or below. The new product, "Model HA-3000", will be introduced at SEMICON WEST in July.

Last year, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (1-24-14 Nishi Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Tel.: 03-3504-7111 President: Noriaki Higuchi) and Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. (9-7-1 Shimo Renjyaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, Tel.: 0422-48-1011 Chairman and CEO?C Hideo Ohtsubo) signed a joint agreement to develop a next-generation optical wafer inspection system by integrating the technology, engineering, production and sales capabilities of both companies.
The standard unit price for the Model HA-3000 is 850 million yen, and it is expected that ten or more units will be sold in the first year of the joint development program.

An Outline of the new system

1. The next-generation wafer inspection system "Model HA-3000", is capable of providing performance that meets the requirements for semiconductor process nodes of 90 nm or below.
2. Optical wafer inspection systems used to detect ultra fine defects less than 90nm at high speed during the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. In order to meet this sensitivity requirement, the present product deep ultraviolet illumination that is shorter in wavelength than those used in conventional inspection equipment currently available in the market.

The aim of this project and the strategic perspective

1. The principal purpose of the joint development is to make effective use of the resources of both companies to meet customer requirements. At the start of the development project, researchers and engineers of both companies gathered at TSK Micro Technologies Co., Ltd. to begin early development work on the new system.
2. The new system will be sold on the world market through the sales network of Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation. Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. Will assists Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation's sales promotion.
3. The existing models of instruments and systems manufactured by both the companies will be distributed from each of them in the conventional manner.

An introduction of each company

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation was formed in October 2001, through the business consolidation of Nissei Sangyo, Co., Ltd. (Trading firm), the Scientific Instruments Group and the Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Group of Hitachi , Ltd. The new company offers a wide array of advanced products including electronic device systems, life-science related instruments, electronic component parts, and software systems. As part of the consolidation, Hitachi's optical inspection equipment division, which was the first to develop and offer optical inspection instruments to the semiconductor device manufacturing industry, was also integrated into Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation.

Tokyo Seimitsu Co., LTD

Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of wafer probing instruments. In cooperation with its affiliated company, TSK Micro Technologies Co., Ltd. (2968-2 Ishikawa-Machi, Hachioji, Tokyo), it moved into the market of optical wafer inspection systems in 2000. Offering the WIN-WIN 50 wafer inspection systems equipped with ultraviolet optics, Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. has been expanding its business activities rapidly in recent years. The strength of Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. lies in their motto of "WIN- WIN RELATIONSHIPS CREATE THE WORLD'S No.1 PRODUCTS" and recruiting talented engineers active in the forefront and a variety of advanced technologies were combined to build up the competitive product in a short time.
During the phase of system designing, a clean-room plant dedicated for production of wafer inspection equipment "WIN- WIN 50" was constructed to be ready to start mass production.

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