Nikon 2014 Annual Report Download - page 22

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How would you sum up the fi scal year ended
March 2014?
Even though the semiconductor market exceeded US$300 bil-
lion in 2013, investment in this area declined over the past two
years, and the market scale of semiconductor lithography sys-
tems we manufactured decreased again during this diffi cult year.
In this environment, we promoted sales of our NSR-S621D
(launched in 2012) and NSR-S622D (launched in 2013) ArF
immersion scanners, which have been designed to meet semi-
conductor manufacturers’ demands for miniaturization, and we
also focused on acquiring new customers. During the fi scal year
ended March 2014, we made a delivery of an ArF immersion
scanner to a sixth company. Looking back at an earlier time,
we admit that our products may not have been as attractive
as those of our competitors in terms of performance or produc-
tivity, but the capacities of our more recent NSR-S621D and
BUSINESS STRATEGY
NSR-S622D scanners and their productivity have boosted our
presence in the market.
Since April 2014, we have begun taking orders for the
successor to the NSR-S622D, our most up-to-date NSR-S630D
ArF immersion scanner. With its high overlay accuracy, this
scanner improves the yield, making us a strong competitor.
Semiconductor manufacturers are pleased with its performance,
so we believe we are now poised to increase our market share.
Where are you headed in the fi scal year
ending March 2015?
Ever-shrinking investment in semiconductors may turn in a
positive direction in 2014, as semiconductor manufacturers
appear to be directing resources to increased miniaturization.
We thus expect to sell more units in the fi scal year ending
March 2015 than in the previous year.
ArF immersion scanner NSR-S630D
Interviews with Key People on the Strategy Going Forward
In the rapidly changing semiconductor industry, responding
to customer needs promptly is crucial. I stay in close contact
with the worksite and our customers in this business,
working to realize additional growth through timely action.
Toshikazu Umatate
Senior Vice President
General Manager of Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit
Semiconductor Lithography Business Unit
Semiconductor Lithography Systems, Unit Sales by
Technology (including refurbished equipment)
(Years ended March 31)
Units
■
■ ArF immersion
■
■ ArF
■
■ KrF
■
■ i-line
2012 2013 2014
100
80
60
40
20
0
84
40 40
35
3
28
18
16
8
3
13
12
11
8
9
Refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis”
for details on performance. P. 48–51
Precision Equipment Business
rF immersion scanner NSR-S630D
20 NIKON REPORT 2014