Start of Sales for Nikon LCD Scanners FX-75S/85S

7th & 8th Generation Tools with Multi-Lens Projection Optical System

October 20, 2008

To support 7th and 8th generation plate sizes for liquid crystal displays (LCD), Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) will start sales of the FX-75S and FX-85S, two new LCD Scanners.
The FX-75S and FX-85S systems are optimal for manufacturing large LCD panels that are most notably used in LCD TVs whose demand is on the rise.
Both the FX-75S and FX-85S have been developed to increase productivity and achieve an increase in productivity of 17 to 20% compared to their predecessors.

Sales Summary

Product name	Nikon LCD Scanners FX-75S/85S
Sales launch term	October, 2008

Development Background

The popularity of LCD televisions is rising rapidly and they now comprise more than half of the worldwide television market. In addition to the space-saving flat panel feature, the screen size of LCD televisions is ever increasing–something that could not be achieved with conventional CRT televisions.
Large information display panels often used for digital signage have also attracted much attention recently.
In order to meet the popular demand of these large-plate LCDs, manufacturing equipment must operate at ever higher levels of productivity than before.

Based on previous models, the FX-75S/85S systems achieved significant improvement in productivity through various improvements.
In addition to high performance, their high productivity enables the maximum production efficiency in 40 to 50-inch LCD panel class production.

Main Characteristics of the FX-75S/85S

1. Newly Developed Multi-Lens Projection Optical System Installed

The system has a multi-lens projection optical system, which consists of 11 projection lenses. This new system enables the exposure of up to a 57-inch wide panel in a single scan. It also enables the exposure of two 48-inch wide-class panels in one scan.

2. High Throughput

FX-75S (1950 x 2250 mm):
496 panels/hr. (42-inch wide panels), 378 panels/hr. (48-inch wide panels)
FX-85S (2200 x 2500 mm):
480 panels/hr. (46-inch wide panels), 322 panels/hr. (52-inch wide panels)

3. Large Plate Applications

The new models have applications for large 7th and 8th generation plate sizes.
It is possible to fabricate the following number of panels from one glass plate at maximum:
FX-75S (1950 x 2250 mm):
8 panels (42-inch wide panels), 6 panels (48-inch wide panels)
FX-85S (2200 x 2500 mm):
8 panels (46-inch wide panels), 6 panels (52-inch wide panels)

4. Wide Exposure Field and High Resolution Simultaneously Achieved

With the multi-lens projection optical system installed, a wide exposure field is assured and a high resolution of 3 um or less (L/S) is achieved.

Main Specifications

Swipe horizontally to view full table.

	FX-75S	FX-85S
Resolution (option)	3.5 μm (g+h+i-line) 3.0 μm (i-line)	3.5 μm (g+h+i-line) 3.0 μm (i-line)
Projection Magnification	1 : 1	1 : 1
Alignment Accuracy	0.6 μm or less	0.6 μm or less
Maximum Plate Size	1950 x 2250 mm	2200 x 2500 mm
Mask Size	1220 x 1400 mm	1220 x 1400 mm
Tact Time	58 sec/plate^*	60 sec/plate^*

*Conditions: 4 scans, g+h+i-line, 30 mj/cm²