ZEISS invests 60 Million Euros in the expansion of the semiconductor manufacturing technology factory

The center for lithography optics in Oberkochen is to be expanded by 6,000 square meters

28-Oct-2016 - Germany

Further growth is planned for the world's most modern center for lithography optics: the ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment (SMT) plans to further expand its production potential in the industrial zone sited between the towns of Oberkochen and Königsbronn in southern Germany. A corresponding application has been submitted to the planning authority responsible. The plan includes not only the expansion of existing production areas, but also a new hall for the next generation of lithography optics with extreme ultraviolet light (EUV). This requires even higher production standards and should be available for the production of new, high-performance chips at the beginning of the next decade.

Dr. Hermann Gerlinger, Member of the Executive Board of Carl Zeiss AG and Head of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment, explains: "ZEISS is continuing to work intensively on the implementation of the innovative EUV lithography for microchip production. The positive signals coming from the market in recent months endorse our decision to already make further investments in this future-oriented technology beyond the current generation. This will make even greater demands on our technological know-how – and on our infrastructure.“

Overall, the ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment will invest more than 60 million euros in the planned expansion of the lithography optics center over the upcoming years. The production areas will be expanded by around 6,000 square meters.

When integrated into wafer scanners from the Dutch customer ASML, EUV lithography optics enable the production of even more powerful microchips.

The new production areas are scheduled to be completed by 2018.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/160276/zeiss-invests-60-million-euros-in-the-expansion-of-the-semiconductor-manufacturing-technology-factory.html