Waferpedia

Nikon

NSR i 14 E i-Line

LithographyNikon NSR family
Research Quality: 40% complete

Provisional entry — research in progress

This page was generated automatically from cited public sources and hasn't completed the full research pass yet. Every specification shown carries its source; more detail is added as research completes.

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What it is

The Nikon NSR i 14 E is an i-line stepper used in semiconductor lithography. The machine performs i-line exposure. The Nikon NSR i 14 E uses the Open VMS operating system.[1][2][3]

How it works

General reference — not yet source-verified

An i-line stepper projects the image of a reticle onto a wafer through a reduction lens. The wafer is positioned on a stage that exposes a field at a time, then steps to the next location and repeats the exposure. The step-and-repeat architecture allows the reticle pattern to be reproduced across the entire wafer surface.

A stepper exposes the full reticle field at each field location on the wafer. The control system coordinates the exposure sequence, stage stepping, and alignment operations.

Where it fits in the process flow

General reference — not yet source-verified

Photolithography steppers sit between the photoresist coating step and the develop and etch steps in wafer fabrication. The stepper exposes the resist, changing its solubility so that the pattern can be developed. After development, the wafer moves to etch and subsequent processing steps.

Steppers of this class are used for the lithography steps that create the conductive, insulating, and semiconducting layers of a device. i-line steppers are commonly applied to mature process technologies and to layers where very high resolution is not the primary requirement.

Applications

General reference — not yet source-verified

Steppers of this kind are used in both production and research environments for wafer lithography. An i-line stepper is appropriate for device layers that can be patterned with an i-line process.

What do the numbers mean?

Optics & imaging2

I-line exposure[1]
Accurate?
Exposure type
i-line[1]
Accurate?

Control & software1

Operating system
Open VMS[1]
Accurate?

Configuration & options1

OS
Open VMS[1]
Accurate?
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Where are the manuals?

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Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Frequently asked questions

What type of equipment is the Nikon NSR i 14 E?

It is an i-line stepper used for semiconductor manufacturing lithography.[1][2][3]

Not publicly documented

The following facts about the NSR i 14 E i-Line are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

  • No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the NSR i 14 E i-Line are on record.

    Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement

  • No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the NSR i 14 E i-Line are on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool

  • The control-system platform and OS era of the NSR i 14 E i-Line are not on record.

    Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records

  • No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the NSR i 14 E i-Line are on record.

    Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician

  • The process node or technology generation of the NSR i 14 E i-Line is not on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report

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Sources & citations

Sources (3)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
  1. [1]inventory listing
  2. [2]Equipment inventory listing
  3. [3]Equipment inventory listing
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Last updated Oct 2, 2026.

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