Canon, Molecular in partnership pact: analyst

SAN FRANSICO: The seventh attempt of Canon Incorporated to enter the argon fluoride (ArF) 193-nm lithography market has apparently failed and the company’s hope now rests with nano-imprint lithography vendor Molecular Imprints Incorporated (MII), according to an analyst.

G Dan Hutcheson, CEO of market research company VLSI Research Incorporated, said there is a partnership agreement between Canon and Molecular Imprints, which is considered to be very important. Hutcheson, however, refused to divulge details about the nature of the agreement.

Neither Canon nor Molecular Imprints has publicly acknowledged that they have been working together for at least a year now.

In an interview, Hutcheson said it is possible that Canon could buy Molecular Imprints, adding that such a deal is pure speculation.

A spokesperson for Molecular Imprints Incorporated, based in Austin, Texas, the United States, neither confirmed nor denied that Molecular Imprints has a working agreement with Canon.

Canon, based in Tokyo, Japan, has not so far commented on the speculation of a partnership agreement with Molecular Imprints.