Curlton, Schnellenberg, Specialist, flicker, etc., all: Just got off the telephone with Angus at Cymer. Again, he called my office when my call was directed to someone in the lower echelons. This again should say something about the positive nature of business these men are running: The questions I asked and the answers received were as follows:
1. Bret stated in his review that he was lowering DUV lithography systems from 435 for calender 98 to 400. Are you comfortable with that figure given VSLI's estimation was agressively higher:
Answer: One of our suppliers has told us that they thought the market could command nearly 700 lithography systems in 98. It was their assumption that this was the case. Whether the market can support that many produce that many systems for operation is another thing. We'll have the capacity to produce in upwards of 1000 systems by the end of the year if demand warrants it and supplies are available (referring to silica).
2. The glass shortage, is this real?
Answer: We've factored into our current production the total availability of lens material. We currently have enough material to produce what we are producing, so, no, there is no current material shortage relative to total production and planned production for next year. As to whether demand begins to exceed our current planned production for next; you need to contact the manufacturers of glass to determine this.
3. Infrastructure made the comment, (interposing) "...the industry is desparately trying to get past DUV..." with a time frame suggested of at least two years production for DUV before they move to other systems. What do you think of this comment?
Answer: (a laugh) Well if this is true then the market shouldn't just be selling our stock they should be selling Nikon, Canon, and SVG as their productive future depends in large part on the success of DUV. So, no, the comment "at least two years" should be better clarified as, frankly, as stated before EUV will not be ready for another eight to ten years. These are the facts. We've already demonstrated/tested the ability of Cymer's DUV lasers down to .09 microns (ISI Technology stepper)and ISI stated they achieved this level using Cymer's DUV lithography.
Will Intel begin using Cymer's systems in the near future given their statement that they're using mercury bulb currently for .25mu?
Answer: Cymer's laser is more accurate at .25mu than the mercury bulb, so, yes I believe that Intel will begin using the Cymer laser. The SVG microscan laser is already being tested by Intel. The microscan has been successful in other productive environments, so I have no reason to believe it wouldn't be productive in the Intel environment.
Komatsu stated that they had come up with a system that was as equally good as yours?
Komatsu can say anything they like, but until they demonstrate the system in the marketplace, as we have, then there is no reason to put faith in this statement. They are running behind our system by several years and, as I said earlier, anyone in second or third place would like to take market share from the firm in first place, so they'll make claims. We have not seen anything to date that would make us think that Komatsu has a workable system equal to Cymers in all respects.
These are a few of the comments. I'll post more later. |
