Nuvoton Technology Corporation Japan (NTCJ) announced on January 20 the commencement of mass production for its high-power ultraviolet semiconductor laser. The laser boasts industry-leading optical output in a 9.0-mm diameter CAN package, or a TO-9. The product is unique in its achievement of high output power, short wavelength, and long lifetime, a trio of factors previously believed hard to attain for ultraviolet semiconductor lasers.
Through NTCJ’s proprietary device structure and advanced high-heat-dissipation packaging technology, the high-power ultraviolet laser contributes to precise patterning and enhanced production throughput in maskless lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Maskless lithography is becoming increasingly relevant, requiring higher performance and smaller transistor size to keep up with the demand for information-processing capabilities driven by the evolution of artificial intelligence.
One challenge to maskless lithography has been finding a light source that can deliver shorter wavelengths and higher output levels to facilitate finer wiring and improve equipment throughput. To overcome this, NTCJ has leveraged its over 40 years of experience in laser design and manufacturing, resulting in the development and commercialization of an ultraviolet semiconductor laser with a wavelength of 379 nm and an output of 1.0 W.
Traditionally, ultraviolet semiconductor lasers tend to experience significant heat generation due to low wall-plug efficiency and a tendency for device degradation caused by ultraviolet light. However, NTCJ has developed a solution with increased wall-plug efficiency and advanced heat dissipation that enables high output levels above 1.0 W. Consequently, this extends the lifetime of optical devices using ultraviolet light.
The new addition to NTCJ’s lineup offers customers an alternative to mercury lamps based on semiconductor lasers. The high-output ultraviolet laser has been introduced at SPIE Photonics West 2026 in San Francisco, USA, and OPIE’26 in Yokohama, Japan.
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