After the opening of a third production facility for calcium fluoride crystals Schott Lithotec increased its production volume and delivered over the last two years, with a significant acceleration in the last couple of months, more than 150 sets of calcium fluoride lens blanks for 193 nm full field tools. Crystalline calcium fluoride has assumed a key function for current and future applications in microlithography (193- and 157 nm technology).
In addition Schott Lithotec focuses on the development of components for phase shifting masks at the Advanced Quality Line (AQL) in Meiningen, which opened in November 2001. This development enables the production of faster and more powerful micro processors and memory chips (MPU's and DRAM's) following the design rule of 0.10 microns. Phase shifting masks are considered to be one of the most important future segments in the semiconductor industry.
At the moment Schott Lithotec is also developing calcium fluoride for the future lithography business in 157 nm technology, which will be introduced in 2004 for the production of computer chips with structure widths of less than 70 nm.
The Jena-based Schott Lithotec AG, leading producer of materials and components for the semiconductor industry and subsidiary of the international Schott Group was established in 1998. The staff of the Thuringian company increased to about 300 employees and in the fiscal year 2001 (9/30) the company reached profitability.