Advanced imaging is Canon's core competency, and microlithography is at the ultra-high end of imaging technology. The electronics manufacturing industry uses Canon microlithography equipment and material for the following applications.

Wafer Imaging

Because the number and complexity of circuit layers within semiconductor chips vary, the chipmaking processing requires a combination of imaging tools for cost-effective volume production. Canon tools have a place at every level, from very rough layers requiring only 0.80-µm resolution, to advanced layers with sub-0.10µm features.

M-R Head Imaging

As extremely high arial densities enter the mainstream, makers of mass storage components use Canon microlithography tools to image the M-R thin film recording heads for computer hard disk and tape drives.

SOI Wafers

Canon is now producing proprietary ELTRAN SOI-Epi wafers for its growing silicon-on-insulator client base. IC devices built on SOI substrate operate faster and consume less power.