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Biological microscopes, industrial microscopes, stereoscopic microscopes, measuring instruments, semiconductor inspection equipment
In the Bioscience business, the market for microscopes is growing steadily, but is increasingly marked by differentiation among products and greater price competition.
In the Industrial Instruments business, we anticipate that tighter controls on capital expenditure stemming from weakening of the semiconductor market will have a significant impact on semiconductor inspection equipment.
| Q1: | How are sales in the Instruments Business? |
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| A1: | In the bioscience business, for fields working with live cells Nikon introduced system products including the ECLIPSE Ti inverted research microscope, and the Confocal Microscope A1 of high-speed, high-definition imaging. We also worked to expand sales of the BioStation series of integrated cell culture observation systems. In the Industrial Instruments business, we concentrated on marketing of the NEXIV series of CNC video measuring systems and the new AMI-3400 model of automatic macro inspection systems, and announced the APM-3000 series of automated pattern profile monitoring systems. |
| Q2: | What is Nikon's lineup of microscopes and their features? |
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| A2: | Nikon offers microscopes for a wide range of uses, including educational, medical and industrial applications. In the bioscience field, live cell observation is a high-visibility area of research, for which Nikon has developed several high-end products. We are focused particularly on expanding sales of the ECLIPSE Ti inverted research microscope and the Confocal Microscope A1, enhancing the value of our microscope brand. Recognition of Nikon as a premium brand is rising rapidly, and we are looking to increase our share of high-end products in major markets throughout the world. We will also develop systems that combine various high-end devices to provide substantial added value, and enhance profitability. Nikon's technology for the high-profile field of live cell observation is unrivaled. Our products combine superior operability with short image data acquisition times, and the ability to stably acquire data over long periods. We also offer the Perfect Focus System to automatically correct the focus drift of a sample during extended observation, freeing researchers from previously unavoidable long hours of data acquisition. |
| Q3: | What products does Nikon offer to help it expand in areas dealing with live cells? |
| A3: | Nikon offers the BioStation CT (Cell Tracking), cell culture observation systems that simplify stable cultivation and quality control for live cells, as well as the BioStation IM (cell IMaging), a time-lapse imaging system that takes images of live cells at fixed intervals, and combines them to allow for observation of the cell as a moving image. Both of these systems facilitate highly reliable data management. Up to now, cultivated cells could have been damaged when removed from the incubator for observation, due to the change in the environment at the observation stage. The BioStation CT, because it allows for cultivation and observation of numerous samples without altering the environment, makes possible efficient data acquisition over extended periods. It also has a remote observation feature, allowing for operation and observation via a networked computer. Nikon will focus on expanding business fields for the promising BioStation series. |
| Q4: | What plans does Nikon have for new product development in the industrial instruments field? |
| A4: | In the Industrial Instruments business, Nikon has a large proportion of sales to the semiconductor industry, so business and investment trends in the semiconductor and electronic components industry have a significant impact. We are also focusing efforts on the automotive industry to strengthen our earnings base, and broaden our business scale and striving to expand sales of the NEXIV series of CNC video measuring systems for use in various inspection processes in automotive industry. Nikon's measuring systems are non-contact, and are distinctive in their ability to measure height as well as surface area. We are currently developing instruments to measure automotive and other components in short periods of time. These devices utilize optical sensor and image processing technology to determine whether components have been produced to the exact precision of the design. Such high speed and precision in component inspection will allow Nikon to move into fields other than automotive, and achieve significant earnings growth. Semiconductor inspection equipment is mainly for examining wafers after exposure, but with increasing device shrinkage the industry has begun pattern inspection of cutting-edge semiconductors at 40 nm node. Surveying of the entire wafer allows for a high capture rate of problem areas and close examination with scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are increasingly becoming the standard method. Nikon's automatic macro inspection systems (AMI series) and automated pattern profile monitoring systems (APM series) shorten the time required to find problem areas, and help improve semiconductor manufacturer yields. |
| Q5: | What is Nikon doing to ensure its personnel are able to handle advanced equipment? |
| A5: | Microscopes today are controlled by computer, while biological microscopes required specialized knowledge in bioscience and familiarity with IT. Nikon hires persons with professional backgrounds, and trains sales specialists by creating skill maps that show the level of proficiency of sales personnel, and provides them with the appropriate training. |
| Q6: | What are Nikon's plans for future business development? |
| A6: | The Instruments Company will further develop and expand sales in the major markets of bioscience and industrial instruments. In bioscience, we will focus on products with new functions like the BioStation series while seeking stable growth, while in industrial instruments we will add to our lineup of products to expand our business fields. |
