MINSK, 30 December (BelTA) – The Belarusian company OAO Planar will sell laser equipment designed to rectify defects of photolithographic masks to the U.S. company Photronics Inc., BelTA learned from Press Secretary of the Belarusian Industry Ministry Oleg Slepchenko.
Planar has signed a contract with the Taiwan-based company MIC Corp on delivering laser equipment for repairing photolithographic mask defects. The EM-5231 laser unit will be shipped to the end user – Photronics Inc. (USA). The U.S. company is the world's leader in manufacturing photomasks for semiconductor applications and flat panel displays. The EM-5231 laser unit will be installed at a factory in Boise, Idaho. The factory uses a fabrication line to make photolithographic masks up to the 14nm technological level.
The sale will allow OAO Planar to promote photolithographic mask fabrication products in non-CIS states and penetrate the U.S. market. In turn, the American company will be able to improve its manufacturing potential with modern and reliable Belarusian equipment.
In 2018 Planar sold an EM-5141 laser unit of the previous generation of the photomask laser repair equipment to a Photronics Inc. daughter enterprise located in Xiamen, China.
Photronics Inc. is the world's leader in designing, engineering, and manufacturing precision photomasks for semiconductor and microelectronics applications as well as flat displays. The company was founded in the State of Connecticut, USA. Its main enterprises are located in Brookfield, Connecticut, in Boise, Idaho, and in Allen, Texas. At present Photronics Inc. operates ten manufacturing enterprises located in the USA, Europe, and Asia, with the total number of personnel at 1,550.
The public joint-stock company (OAO) Planar is a Belarusian R&D company specializing in making cutting-edge optical-mechanical equipment for microelectronics and equipment for preparing crystals for assembly. Among other things the company offers cutting-edge equipment for making photomasks and semiconductor wafers, special optical-mechanical technologies, measurement and control equipment, optical components, mechanical engineering products, various devices and services in the area of electromagnetic compatibility certification.
