Investment & expansion
UK R&D company Innos has invested GBP5mn to upgrade its photolithography capability, including the purchase of a JBX-9300FS electron-beam lithography system from JEOL UK. The new equipment, installed at Innos' 1000m2 clean room in Southampton is part of a strategy to provide a complete service to industry and academic institutions.
"The JBX 9300FS installation at Innos is the first unit of its kind in the UK, and will enable the next generations of nano-electronic devices to be produced, also allowing nano-technological research to prosper in the correct environment," explains the senior general sales manager at JEOL UK, Roger Hockham.
The JBX-9300FS features a spot beam with a diameter of 4nm at 100kV, vector scan, and a step and repeat stage. The beam size can be varied widely, with a guaranteed minimum linewidth of less than 20nm. Overlay and stitching accuracies are of comparable dimensions.
"Even smaller linewidths down to 10nm have been reported to be possible with this tool," reports Innos CEO Stephen Byars. "Therefore, highly complex patterns with very fine geometries can be written in appropriate e-beam sensitive resists on to wafers with diameters up to 200mm."
The JEOL system is currently in the final stages of installation and commissioning at Innos and acceptance tests are due to be completed by the end of June 2004.
Alliance Semiconductor is planning $50mn in investment in the company's India design centre over the next five years. The IC supplier produces analogue and mixed signal products, high performance memory, and systems solutions for the communications, computing, embedded, industrial and consumer markets.
The company plans to undertake significant recruitment in India this year. The proposed investment would enable Alliance to double its engineering staff from 150 to 300 over the next three years at centres in Bangalore and Hyderabad. To date, Alliance has invested approximately $20mn in its India centre and research initiatives.
"The India Design Center has grown from 20 to 150 engineers in the last five years. This investment will enable us to accelerate product development efforts and further expand our technology talent in Bangalore and Hyderabad," reports Jayanta Lahiri, general manager of Alliance's India operations.
