According to the latest 2007 semiconductor equipment supplier rankings from VLSI Research, ASML has been strengthening its position as the number one lithography supplier, by revenue, in recent years. 

In cooperation with a leading Japanese EUV mask supplier, Vistec Semiconductor noted at the recent European Mask and Lithography Conference (EMLC) in Dresden, Germany, that it published new registration metrology results on EUV masks using its LMS IPRO4. The results showed that measurement repeatability on EUV masks proved to be better than 0.8nm and accuracy was below 1.6nm (3 sigma) over the entire active array of 100 x 128mm. 

GenISys GmbH has said that a further three U.S. research institutions have adopted its advanced e-beam lithography software, namely, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology. 

Gigaphoton has shipped the first of its new GT62A ArF 90W laser light sources to a lithography equipment company that is designed for double-patterning immersion lithography. 

AMD and IBM have said they have successfully produced a working test chip utilizing “full-field” EUV lithography for the critical first layer - instead of ‘narrow field’ (R&D sample applications) - in the fabrication process across an entire 22mm x 33mm AMD 45nm node test chip. 

Nova Measuring Instruments’ optical critical dimension (CD) metrology platform has been qualified on Sokudo's RF3 coat/develop track systems, the companies have said. The NovaScan 3090Next is an advanced metrology platform for Optical CD Control and shape-profiling, implementing polarized normal incidence spectroscopic scatterometry. 

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials and IBM have entered into a joint development agreement to create patterning materials and processes to enable implant steps at the 32nm node and beyond. 

Spansion will use Sokudo's RF3S immersion track system at its 300mm Submicron Development Center (SDC) in Sunnyvale, CA to develop 193nm immersion processes for its 32nm flash devices. 

Toshiba Corporation is using Brion’s Tachyon OPC+ optical proximity correction (OPC) computational lithography technology for its 45nm devices, Brion said. Toshiba is a past user of Brion’s technology at the 65nm node.