Ultratech, Inc., a leading supplier of lithography and laser-processing systems used to manufacture semiconductor devices, today introduced its newest lithography system, the Sapphire 100 for high-brightness light-emitting diode (HBLED) manufacturing. By leveraging its lithography and technology leadership, the Sapphire 100 lithography system is designed to enable Ultratech customers to meet the growing demand for illumination products with HBLED technology. Today this demand is driven by strong growth in LED backlighting applications, with even greater potential from energy savings as the world intensifies its energy conservation efforts with the implementation of LED-based, solid state lighting. Currently in beta, Ultratech's production-ready Sapphire 100 lithography system will be available in the second half of 2010.

According to Strategies Unlimited, illumination is expected to become the fastest growing segment of HBLEDs (2007 - 2012 CAGR of 36 percent). Future growth in the LED lighting market is expected to come from a mix of sources, such as street and parking lights, and indoor residential and office applications. It is estimated that the potential annual energy cost savings is in the $10 billion - $100 billion per country. Building on this expectation, Ultratech has designed the Sapphire 100 to provide competitive advantages for its HBLED manufacturing customers.

Doug Anberg, Ultratech's vice president of advanced stepper technology, noted, "Today, approximately 25 percent of electricity is used for lighting. As energy conservation efforts continue to increase, we expect lighting products with HBLED technology to be in high demand. The development of our Sapphire 100 system is an example of our long track record of anticipating industry trends and providing high value to meet the changing needs of our global customers. We look forward to working with leading HBLED manufacturers and to establish their competitive advantages with Ultratech lithography systems for the burgeoning illumination market."

Sapphire 100 Lithography System
Building upon the cost and performance advantages of the highly reliable 1500 platform, the Sapphire 100 system offers the added advantage of Ultratech's patented Machine Vision System (MVS). The MVS delivers alignment flexibility with significant advantages over standard alignment techniques. The Sapphire 100 was specifically designed to meet the wide range of lithography needs for the HBLED manufacturing industry.