Boosting the production capacity of direct imaging lithography equipment and developing a production system for EUV light sources for mask inspection
The Ushio Group, headed by Ushio Inc. (Head office: Tokyo; President and Chief Executive Officer: Koji Naito; hereinafter “Ushio”), announces that it has decided to enhance production capacity of fully automated direct imaging (DI) lithography equipment and establish a production system for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light sources for mask inspection in response to growing demand for a broad array of high-resolution lithography.
Increase in demand and technological innovation are expected for semiconductors, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and integrated circuit (IC) packaging boards, given the rapid growth in demand in recent years for information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure driven by the continuing progress of an internet of things (IoT) with the introduction of fifth generation (5G) mobile communication technology into commercial use and advance of smart devices, along with the growth of online services and the volume of data traffic.
In light of this, Ushio will invest approximately 2.0 billion Yen (~15.7 million Euros) in the expansion of its production facilities at the Nagaoka Plant of ADTEC Engineering Co., Ltd., a member of the Ushio Group. The purposes of this capital expenditure are explained below: This capital investment will be part of the growth investment initiatives defined in the Ushio Group Medium-Term Management Plan (announced on July 31, 2020).
1. To enhance production capacity of fully automated DI lithography equipment (to approx. 1.4 times the existing capacity) in response to the growing demand around the globe for lithography equipment which is able to accommodate extensive development in circuit pattern generation technology including for those practiced for PCBs and for packaging boards (in the back-end manufacturing process of semiconductors), as well as the growing size of lithography equipment.
2. To achieve stable supply and consistent performance and quality improvement of key components used in EUV light sources for mask inspection, which will play an important role in commercialising the EUV lithography technology essential for the mass production of next-generation semiconductors.
Below is an overview of the new building and the new plant:
■Overview of the properties acquired (land and building)
・Address: 392-1 Mishimashimbo, Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture
・Site area: 14,970 ㎡
・Total floor space (existing building): 4,410 ㎡
・Products to be produced: Fully automated DI lithography equipment, Factory automation (FA) equipment
■Overview of the new plant (To be built within the site as described above)
・Total floor space (new): 2,000 ㎡
・Completion: Scheduled for the spring of 2022
・Products to be produced: Key component products used in EUV light sources for mask inspection, etc.
Ushio will continue to be committed to the consistent enhancement of the performance and quality of DI lithography equipment and EUV light sources for mask inspection in pursuit of the further development for society leveraging its light technology.
For more information on production capacity expansion, please also visit the ADTEC Engineering website.
ADTEC Engineering Co.,Ltd. (Head Office：Tokyo)
ADTEC was established in 1983. The company has been growing as a leading exposure equipment maker .In 2014, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc, Japan. ADTEC has expanded its product line from fully automated exposure equipment to cutting – edge digital exposure equipment and provided to customers worldwide with a large market share. The company has also been diversifying its business into ultra-precision processing and factory automation (FA) equipment. For more information, please visit https://www.adtec.com/
