Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!vsi1!zorch!ardent!mips!hal!mark
From: mark@mips.COM (Mark G. Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Here are five counterexamples
Message-ID: <34429@mips.mips.COM>
Date: 12 Jan 90 19:19:43 GMT
References: <34315@mips.mips.COM> <76700108@p.cs.uiuc.edu>
Sender: news@mips.COM
Reply-To: mark@mips.COM (Mark G. Johnson)
Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Inc.
Lines: 27


 $$   What about the following US semi equipment vendors?
 $$          GCA           Wafer steppers including g- and i-line lenses
 $$          Ultratech     Wafer steppers    "
 $$          LAM           etchers

In article <76700108@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
  >
  >I think he meant that "there are no more U.S. companies making
  >lithography machines".  Isn't lithography technology central to the
  >process of shrinking circuitry ?

But GCA and Ultratech *are* lithography machines.

Just to bring an element of concreteness into the discussion, the mask
levels of the R6000 and R3000 microprocessors are aligned and exposed
using Ultratech (made-in-the-USA) steppers.  Of course, not every fab
that builds these parts is outfitted with Ultratech steppers (some may
be GCA or perhaps Nikon), but it is certainly true that N>0 of the
R6000 / R3000 fabs do use Ultratech exposure machines.

Disclaimer: I don't sell, buy, or use steppers and I have no affiliation
            with Ultratech, GCA, Nikon, Perkin-Elmer, or MITI.
-- 
 -- Mark Johnson	
 	MIPS Computer Systems, 930 E. Arques, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
	(408) 991-0208    mark@mips.com  {or ...!decwrl!mips!mark}