SAN FRANCISCO—Intel Corp.'s venture capital arm and photomask vendor Photronics Inc. have each invested an undisclosed amount in IMS Nanofabrication AG, an Austrian firm developing direct-write lithography technology, IMS said Wednesday (Dec. 7).
The funding, which also included investments by private investors, will be used to can electron multi-beam mask exposure tool proof-of-concept to support tool characterization, column optimization and infrastructure enhancements that set the stage for commercialization, IMS (Vienna) said. According to the company, IMS established the technical feasibility of the technology through a proof of writing strategy program earlier this year.
"The additional resources will help IMS to demonstrate a 256 thousand e-beam mask writer column with initial exposures by the end of 2011," said Max Bayerl, CEO of IMS, in a statement.
In a addition to developing an electron multi-beam mask writer, IMS is also developing a direct-write lithography technology called projection maskless lithography.
Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Keith Larson, a vice president at Intel's venture capital arm, Intel Capital said successful demonstration of an electron multi-beam mask writer column would be "a significant step forward in addressing industry needs for higher productivity mask writing capability at finer levels of resolution."
Christopher Progler, chief technology officer at Photronics, said the photomask vendor joined the equity round to support the development of technology that would allow it to provide leading edge mask production capability to its customers. "Our investment in IMS demonstrates our commitment to invest in technologies that can keep Photronics on the cutting edge of mask writing technology," Progler said.
Intel, Photronics back multi-beam litho firm
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