Nikon 2006 Annual Report Download - page 20

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REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
Critically acclaimed semiconductor
inspection equipment
Nikon vastly improved profi tability in semiconductor
inspection equipment in the year under review. This
was due to favorable market response to its auto-
matic macro inspection (AMI) systems, introduced
in response to device shrinkage. With the advent of
90nm processing for 300mm wafers, the superiority
of Nikon’s products has become clear. During the year,
almost all domestic semiconductor manufacturing facil-
ities with 300mm wafer production lines were using
Nikon’s AMI systems. Plans are in motion to launch the
AMI-3300 in the year ending March 2007 to provide
inspection at 55nm line-width.
Focus on video measuring
systems
Non-contact measuring systems featuring optical tech-
nology exploit Nikon’s competitive edge in measuring
equipment to maximum effect as measurements can
be completed in a shorter space of time than systems
that touch the inspected item. During the year, Nikon
brought to market the NEXIV series of CNC video mea-
suring systems that also measure height. Going forward,
Nikon sees image processing software as a key element
in this fi eld, and is therefore channeling R&D investment
into pertinent software development. Future efforts
will focus on further advancing the NEXIV series with
enhanced measuring capability for the third dimension of
height as well as the usual two dimensions.
Aggressively establish new Nikon
Imaging Centers
Nikon has been establishing Nikon Imaging Centers
at the world’s leading universities in order to promote
the development of microscopes for professors and
researchers. During the period, Nikon instituted a
Nikon Imaging Center at the University of Heidelberg,
Hokkaido University and Oxford University. Plans are
in place to establish a similar center at the University
of California, San Francisco in the year ending March
2007. Through these facilities, Nikon contributes to
research in various fi elds, while refl ecting information
gathered in the development of leading-edge micro-
scope systems.
Key objectives of the medium
term management plan
1. Nikon plans to cut development lead-time by 30%
in a bid to further speed-up operations. Besides
facilitating the timely launch of a wider range
of new products, this will lead to lower product
development costs, which in turn will contribute
to expanded sales and profi ts.
2. In the biological microscopes fi eld, Nikon seeks to
expand business in live cell imaging systems.
3. With the cooperation of other departments, Nikon
aims to expand sales and drive technical innova-
tion. In particular, effective utilization of Nikon’s
core optical and image processing technologies is
expected to make a major contribution towards
the development of fresh new products.
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