Feb 19 2010
Energetiq Technology, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of specialized light sources for advanced technology applications, has announced a solid-state LED Illuminator to its light source product offering for use in semiconductor lithography. The Energetiq LED Illuminator will be introduced at SPIE Advanced Lithography, February 23-24, 2010 in San Jose, CA.
The Energetiq LED Illuminator has a long operating life -- up to 20,000 hours -- so there are no bulb changes and subsequent system downtime as can occur with the use of traditional mercury lamps. It offers exceptional uniformity of illumination, typically less than 2% of non-uniformity -- no need for an additional homogenizer. In addition, the instant on/off capability of the LED Illuminator allows for operation without a shutter.
"Historically, UV LEDs have not been considered practical as illumination sources because of their low power and brightness," said Paul Blackborow, CEO of Energetiq. "Our expertise in high brightness, high output light sources has enabled us to create an LED illuminator that can produce the brightness and power needed for today's lithographic applications, with significant advantages over mercury lamps. Cost of ownership is greatly decreased due to the long life of our lamp. The superior uniformity control and no warm-up benefits of the LED Illuminator provide our customers with enhanced performance opportunities. Our proprietary light engine and sophisticated cooling technique leads to a very compact design which can eliminate the need for mechanical shutters, filters and costly optics, thereby reducing system complexity and tool footprint."
The Energetiq LED Illuminator is available in a choice of 365nm (i-line) or 365/405/440nm (i/h/g-line) versions and can be integrated into new or retrofitted tools.
Source: http://www.energetiq.com