Tokyo -- Canon Inc. plans to build a new plant next year to make calcium-fluoride material for lenses used in its next-generation 193-nm argon-fluoride (ArF) lithography scanners, said company officials here.

Canon also confirmed plans to begin large-scale commercial production of its new ArF excimer scanner, the FPA-5000AS2, in 2001 at its Utsunomiya Optical Factory in Japan. The company said it has invested heavily at the site to increase manufacturing capability of lithography steppers, scanners, and mirror project aligners, which are used to produce flat-panel displays.

The second-generation FPA-5000AS2 supports 200- and 300-mm wafer production and follows the use of Canon's first 300-mm capable ArF tool (the FPA-5000AS1) at Japan's Selete semiconductor consortium. Canon said Selete has been working with its 193-nm system since late 1999.

To support the growth in 193-nm scanner demand, Canon said plans additional investments by its Optron Inc. subsidiary, which supplies the company's semiconductor equipment division with lens material--including some calcium-fluoride (CaF2) materials already. Optron will build a new $40 million facility, devoted to making the critical CaF2 material for 193-nm scanner lenses. The 107,500-suqare-foot plant, to be located on nine acres of purchased land in Yuuki City, is scheduled to begin production in the summer of 2001.

Canon officials stressed that the firm will also continue buying CaF2 material from other suppliers as well.

Exposure tool makers have long been concerned about the global supply of calcium fluoride for the next-generation ArF scanners. The new lens material is required to hold up under the higher concentrated heat generated by new ArF excimer lasers. Quartz glass lenses, used in the current 248-nm generation of exposure tools, do not provide high transmittance at 193-nm wavelength, noted Canon officials.

Canon currently believes CaF2 appears likely to be the primary lens material for 157-nm lithography systems, which will be needed this decade for future process technology nodes as device feature sizes shrink.