In April 2014, Canon completed the acquisition of Molecular Imprints’ semiconductor business. The business has been renamed Canon Nanotechnologies. Canon Nanotechnologies, together with Canon, is the market and technology leader for high-resolution, low cost-of-ownership nanoimprint lithography systems and solutions for the semiconductor industry. Canon Nanotechnologies systems feature its innovative Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography (J-FIL) technology to help create the extremely small features required in today’s state-of-the-art semiconductor memory devices.
World’s Market and Technology Leader for High-resolution, Low Cost-of-Ownership sub-20nm Nanoimprint Lithography Systems for the Semiconductor Industry
Canon Nanotechnologies was originally founded as Molecular Imprints, Inc. (MII) in Austin, Texas in 2001, a spin out from the University of Texas. Canon Nanotechnologies has applied for over 700 patents, resulting in a growing portfolio of over 170 patents issued covering imprint tools, imprint materials and masks/templates, process technology and imprint-specific device designs. Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography (J-FIL), powered by our Drop Pattern Generator system, is the heart of Canon Nanotechnologies’ advanced nanoimprint technology, allowing precise placement of UV curable imprint resist on substrates in picoliter quantities, enabling uniform and consistent nanoimprinting of features down to 10nm and below at very low cost. Canon Nanotechnologies delivers this value to customers through integration of a unique set of core competencies and partnerships that cover lithography, precision nanomechanics, fluid dynamics, surface chemistry and materials formulation.
With a focus on providing manufacturing solutions, over 60 J-FIL systems have already been shipped worldwide. Customer engagements for semiconductor device development and manufacturing have included Toshiba, Intel and Sematech.
Our unique nanoimprinting capability continues to gain acceptance towards high volume manufacturing in advanced semiconductor non-volatile memory (NVM). Working with industry partners (mask, materials, and stepper platforms) Canon’s J-FIL stepper systems are planned for sub-20nm NAND memory production ramp in 2015.
J-FIL has demonstrated sub-20nm capability within the semiconductor industry and is extensible to the sub-10nm regime enabling the economical continuation of Moore’s Law. A drop-in replacement technology, Canon Nanotechnologies’ systems are being evaluated for mix-and-match strategies with 193nm lithography where J-FIL’s resolution and cost advantages will be focused on critical layers, particularly in leading edge NVM devices.