For mix & match of the world's first KrF scan field stepper with ArF scanner Announcing sale of Nikon's Step-and-Repeat System NSR-SF200

Sales Summary

Product name	Nikon Step-and-Repeat System NSR-SF200
Price (excluding tax)	About 850 ~ 950 million yen (varies by spec or configuration)
Sales launch date	November 2003

Development Background

In January 2001, Nikon began taking orders for the NSR-SF100, an i-line stepper developed ahead of the rest of the industry based on the new concept of mix-and-match with lens-scanning KrF excimer steppers found on state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing lines. In July 2002, the NSR-SF120, which featured improved resolution and throughput, made its appearance.

The i-line stepper is optimum for exposure of the non-critical layers that account for about half of all the layers exposed on the wafer. With its adequate levels of resolution and excellent throughput on exposure fields shared with advanced scanners, the i-line stepper has won plaudits for total balance and superior cost performance, in its contribution to improvement of productivity and to reduction of the total investment costs of manufacturing lines.

The NSR-SF200, representing the next stage in this development, is the world's first KrF excimer laser scan field stepper, suitable for mix-and-match with the lens scanning ArF stepper used in 300mm wafer lines for mass production of 90nm devices. Nikon achieved the wide field projection lens used in this KrF system by incorporating the latest technology developed for the cutting-edge ArF lens.

Major Performances

Resolution	150nm or better
N.A. (Numerical Aperture)	0.63
Light source	KrF excimer laser (248nm wavelength)
Reduction ratio	1:4
Exposure field	26 X 33mm
Alignment accuracy	28nm or better (M+3σ)
Throughput (per hour)	300mm wafers: 110 or more wafers 200mm wafers: 120 or more wafers

Major Characteristics

• World's first KrF scan field stepper
  Makes use of cutting-edge lens technology to achieve the same broad exposure field as the 26 X33mm scanning stepper. Incorporates a newly developed high N.A. (0.63) reduction projection lens to achieve a resolution of 150nm or better.
  
  
• Optimum Mix-and-Match with scanners
  Dramatically reduces lens distortion (to 18nm or less). Also achieves an alignment accuracy of 28nm, demonstrating superior performance suitable for mix-and-match with the lens scanning ArF stepper.
  
  
• Superior cost performance
  Achieves throughput of 110 or more 300mm wafers per hour. Running costs are reduced by 50%, and CoO (cost of ownership) is just 45% that of scanners from the same generation. Superior performance contributes to reduced costs.
  
  
• Optimum tool for manufacture of CCDs and other image sensors
  Improves illumination uniformity, the manufacturing aspect that has the most effect on CCD manufacture.
  Nikon's independently developed Ghost countermeasure is also available (as an option).