About us Variable Shaped Beam systems with high throughput and excellent performance

About us Variable Shaped Beam systems with high throughput and excellent performance

Get to know us

Our Company

Vistec Electron Beam is a leader in the design and manufacturing of electron-beam lithography systems, which are based on the Variable Shaped Beam (VSB) principle. In conjunction with extended writing strategies and efficient layout data processing the electron-beam lithography systems are capable to fully expose 300 mm wafers and 9 inch masks on the same platform. The application areas span a wide range of existing and emerging applications including silicon direct write, compound semiconductor, mask making, advanced research, integrated optics and photonics for customers in both industry as well as Advanced Research.

Our History

The company's roots go back to Carl Zeiss Jena in the early 1970s, when the first commercial electron-beam exposure system based on the VSB principle was introduced. The main customers for the so-called ZBAs (Zeiss exposure system) were the former RGW (Rat für gegenseitige WirtschaftshilfeCouncil for Mutual Economic Assistance) countries. After the political changes in Germany, electron beam lithography was initially continued under the roofs of JENOPTIK and later Leica Microsystems. Since 1996, Leica Electron Beam Lithography has been operating as a limited liability company (GmbH). As a result of a restructuring process in 2006 the company had to change the name in Vistec Electron Beam. Since 2012 Vistec Electron Beam GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of DR.-JOHANNES-HEIDENHAIN.

The company employs more than 110 people worldwide. The headquarter is located in Jena, Germany, with offices and manufacturing facilities for assembly and qualification. In addition to their production facility in Germany, Vistec maintains service and support centres in Europe, China, Taiwan and also in the US.

Thanks to its location, Vistec Electron Beam benefits from the synergies between leading edge research institutes, small and mid-sized equipment and supplier companies as well as key semiconductor manufacturers in the neighborhood area.

Vistec is certified by DIN EN ISO 9001:2015.

Company Milestones

  • 2021

    New manufacturing facility opened

  • 2012

    New Ownership for Vistec Electron Beam GmbH, Jena

  • 2005

    Leica Microsystems Lithography GmbH becomes Vistec Electron Beam GmbH

  • 1996

    Leica Cambridge Ltd. and JENOPTIK Lithography join and the company in Jena becomes Leica Lithographie Systeme Jena GmbH.

  • 1990

    After Germany’s reunification the successful Carl Zeiss spin-off JENOPTIK takes over the Carl Zeiss Lithography business

  • 1974

    Carl Zeiss Jena launches the first commercial Variable Shaped Beam system