Traditionally, the primary customer base for Photronics' photomasks has been the semiconductor industry. Each design required a set of patterns to be imaged and transferred onto silicon wafers that would eventually become chips used in a variety of end products-from cars to computers. Chrome-on-glass (COG) photomasks have been the principal medium for pattern transfer since Photronics first began operations at its original plant in Danbury, Connecticut. Utilizing a complementary set of electron beam and laser beam writing equipment, Photronics' lithography engineers innovated processing technology capable of delivering everything from simple rectilinear patterns to intricate, subresolution optical proximity correction (OPC) features. Next, circuit designers began incorporating phase shift mask (PSM) techniques into their device lithographic strategies. Photronics responded by quickly developing and integrating the process by which the COG Manufacturing Lines in its select 'high end' facilities could build PSMs. Cycle times for advanced OPC and PSM reticles dropped from 30 days or more to less than seven days in many instances due to the emphasis placed on robust process implementation and the same customer-oriented focus that has kept Photronics growing year after year.

Many other industries depended on photomasks for their device patterns as well: thin film heads, large area masks, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), waveguides, metrology & characterization standards, and more. While these markets, even combined, were not as large as the semiconductor industry, Photronics remained committed to serving each product's specific needs. This sometimes required a great deal of effort up front, but without Photronics' participation, many products used by consumers today would have been delayed or would have been more expensive.

All of the above was done to fight the fires blazing at the time, but what about preparation for the future? In its effort to lead the industry in technological capability, Photronics managed a team of next generation lithography (NGL) engineers at IBM's Burlington, VT facility. This special group, called the Mask Center of Competency (MCoC), was tasked to focus the semiconductor industry's divergence into one or two mask solutions for the sub-50nm technology nodes. A three-year contract, ending June of 2002, provided sufficient time for Photronics research teams to prepare for the world in which lithography is no longer an optical technology. During the activity period, masks were built for the four technologies under scrutiny: extreme ultraviolet (EUV), e-beam projection lithography (EPL), ion-beam projection lithography (IPL), and X-ray lithography. In each case, manufacturing infrastructure and capability indices were considered, and customers received and printed the masks to verify predictive simulations. In the end, Photronics gained the most technologically-advanced experience and know-how, propelling them past every merchant maskmaker in the world.
Not often is there an opportunity to be involved in a fast-paced technological field on which entire industries depend for their very survival. The photomask industry has proven to be just that. Up to the present, Photronics has been challenged on many technology fronts and has risen to meet them. It is upon this legacy that we at Photronics have the luxury of building, and will continue to do so with our customers' technology needs lighting the way.