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Technology Stocks : ASML Holding NV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (914)	2/19/2004 8:07:13 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 43407

ASML puts 157-nm litho on the "back burner" By Peter Clarke Silicon Strategies 02/19/2004, 4:31 AM ET PARIS -- Speaking as a conference keynoter here Wednesday (February 18, 2004) Doug Dunn, chairman and chief executive officer of lithograpy equipment maker ASML Holding NV, said that it was now doubtful that optical lithography at the 157-nanometer wavelength had a future. He added that the industry must back EUV lithography "all the way" to make sure that type of lithography arrived in a timely manner to follow immersion lithography at the 193-nm wavelength. As keynote speaker for a session on lithography within the International Forum on Semiconductor Technology held here, Dunn said that despite the effort ASML had put into developing 157-nm lithography and with two full-field scanners delivered as alpha tools, the technology's future was uncertain. "Most of the costs are behind us but we're keeping it on the back burner," he told delegates working with European collaborative research programs, Japan's Selete consortium, and International Sematech. At another time during the speech Dunn said 157-nm lithography was going into "hibernation". "If 193-nm immersion works it could liberate 157-wet, but it would be a one manufacturing node technology," said Dunn indicating that the industry could not bear the cost of transitioning to a new optical lithography step and then moving again to even more radically different extreme ultra-violet lithography technology. "But we will keep that - 157-nm litho - program sufficiently warm that it could be brought to life if necessary," Dunn said. Dunn emphasized that ASML's EUVL program was on-track to deliver an alpha tool by the end of 2005. Indeed, Dunn said that ASML already has the alpha tool working but later told Silicon Strategies that 18 months of measurement, testing, and refinement was to be expected. "EUV with a wavelength of 13.5-nanometers is the only credible way to get to 32-nm half-pitch, that is extendable to 22-nm and beyond. EUV is unquestionably the way forward although there may be questions over timing," Dunn said "We are on-track to meet our timing," he said before adding, "And we'll try to meet customers' timetables." Dunn went on to say that ASML would deliver a second prototype EUVL scanner to the U.S. soon after the first alpha tool is shipped at the end of 2005. But he also emphasized that development of EUVL is an expensive business. He added "very" twice to make his point to the audience. When asked from the floor what the alternative technologies are should EUVL not reach sufficient illumination power to allow high throughput of wafers Dunn effectively said there are none. "If we do divert resources to other techniques we won't do justice to EUV." He added: "I see no reason to panic and divert resources into other areas."