Olympus 2002 Annual Report Download - page 18

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Products Based on OPTO-Digital Technology
Olympus uses the base of OPTO-Digital Technology,
an integration of its cutting-edge optical and digital
technologies, to pursue technological development
emphasizing greater compactness, increased precision and
higher complexity that will deliver new value to society,
specifically to people in the imaging, medical and industrial
fields.
The major success during fiscal 2002 was the develop-
ment of an optical scanner utilizing silicone micromachining
technology, which is featured in our OLS1100 scanning laser
microscope. The OLS1100 is anticipated to have a major
impact on the measurement needs of high-density magnetic
heads and semiconductors, as well as on the growing needs
for the inspection of three-dimensional, microscopic new
materials.
Olympus also launched the MEMS (Micro-Electro
Mechanical System) Foundry Services, which provide devel-
oped technology to external users. This will allow Olympus
to utilize its accumulated MEMS-related technology assets
and production facilities, accepting external orders to pro-
duce high value-added key components designed to meet user
needs for designs, prototypes, modularization and unitiza-
tion.
Another big business opportunity for Olympus is com-
munications. It is projected that in the future, with the
spread of broadband, a global fiber-optic network will be
built. The technical hurdle for this network will be switching
functionality. Systems with ultra-compact, ultra-precise
lenses, mirrors, prisms and filters will be required to manage
the vast amount of traffic carried over optical
fibers, and these are all Olympus’s fields of exper-
tise. Providing components to Internet-related
businesses has the potential to grow into a huge
business.
Laser scanning microscope,
OLS1100
digi
tal