Gigaphoton Inc., a manufacturer of light sources used in semiconductor lithography, has announced that it has begun mass production of its new KrF light source model ‘G60K’.
While the semiconductor shortage across the globe continues, the demand for KrF lithography is expected to grow by 240% by 2023 (compared to 2019) due to the increase in demand for mature-node semiconductors of 40 nm and earlier used for radio frequency (RF) communication processing and in-vehicle semiconductors, etc., as well as the capacity increase caused by the increase in the number of layers in 3D NAND production technology.*
Since it was first launched in November 2020, Gigaphoton’s new KrF lithography light source ‘G60K’, which has received rave reviews from many users, commenced mass production in November this year to meet high demand. A key feature of the G60K is that it answers the industry’s calls for increased availability and environmental sustainability. Gigaphoton has improved the availability by simultaneously improving the processing capacity of the lithography equipment with a high output of 60 watts, as well as reducing the frequency of maintenance by improving the durability of core modules. The enhanced new power source reduces power consumption by more than 5%, providing sustainability as well as cutting user costs. Furthermore, the G60K platform can be expanded to offer an output of 90 watts to meet the needs of further throughput improvements in the future.
Katsumi Uranaka, President & CEO of Gigaphoton said, “Gigaphoton will also invest in development for the mature process node generation, provide products that make full use of state-of-the-art technology, and contribute to improving the availability and sustainability of our equipment for our customers.”
