Canon 2006 Annual Report Download - page 37

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35
Fiscal 2006 Review
Sales in the Optical and Other
Products segment in fiscal 2006
totaled ¥423.8 billion, up 13.7%
from the previous fiscal year.
In the LCD market, oversupply
in the first half of 2006 triggered
a steep decrease in prices, and
earnings at panel manufacturers
dropped accordingly. This led to a
slowdown in demand for exposure
equipment that impacted overall segment sales. In contrast,
unit sales of semiconductor-production equipment increased
steadily. Canon enhanced the competitiveness of its
FPA-6000ES5a and other KrF excimer laser systems, as well
as its FPA-5500iZa and i-line series lineup, by improving
product performance and quality. In addition, the Company
shortened lead-times to successfully deliver products in line
with customer time demands. These factors contributed to
significant growth in revenues that exceeded forecasts at the
beginning of 2006.
In X-ray digital radiography, competition grew more severe
between CR-, CCD- and FPD-based still-image X-ray digital
cameras. Led by the CXDI-50G, overall year-on-year sales
increased significantly. Against a backdrop of greater use of
digital images in patient diagnosis, sales of non-mydriatic
retinal cameras decreased.
However, sales of
CF-60DSi digital mydriatic
retinal cameras and TX-F
non-contact tonometers
offset the decrease. As a
result, overall sales of
ophthalmic equipment remained
largely unchanged from the
previous year.
Spurred by strong growth of
HDTV lenses for studios and live
broadcasts, as well as profes-
sional ENG lenses, Canon
posted record sales of broad-
cast lenses on double-digit
percentage growth.
Innovative Technology
Immersion Lithography Technology
Making narrower circuit linewidths on a semiconductor chip
enables a greater number of transistors or other components
per chip. To achieve increasingly narrow circuit linewidths,
Canon is pursuing advances in immersion lithography tech-
nology utilizing ArF excimer lasers as a light source. The
technology involves filling the space between the projection
lens and the wafer with ultrapure water, which has a higher
refractive index than air, to increase the numerical aperture
(NA) of the lens for greater precision. As a light source, ArF
excimer lasers offer the shortest wavelength—193 nanometers
(nm)—used in current lens optics. Using an ArF excimer laser
light source, the limit for circuit linewidths was previously
thought to be 65nm. Applying immersion lithography technol-
ogy, however, enables circuit linewidths to be reduced down
to 45nm. Immersion lithography enables customers to shrink
circuit linewidths using current equipment, potentially leading
to a significant reduction in investment costs.
In 2007, Canon will introduce the FPA-7000AS7 immersion
lithography scanning stepper incorporating this immersion
lithography technology. Canon will continue exploring further
possibilities and applications for immersion technology by
searching for liquids with high refractive indexes to increase
numerical apertures.
Liquid Film Immersion Method Using
Ultrapure Water
Immersion lithography involves replacing the
air normally found between the projection
lens and wafer with ultrapure water, enabling
circuit linewidths down to 45nm.
Ultrapure
water
recovery Projection lens Ultrapure
water
Semiconductor
wafer
Wafer stage
DIGISUPER 100AF
MPA-8800
CXDI-50G
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
500‚000
0
Sales Results:
Optical and Other Products
(Millions of yen)
02 03 04 05 06
228,155
249,732
316,821
372,604
423,807