Martin Moravcik Collection 1
Martin Moravcik Collection 1

Gallery and Collection, Super Nikon Fans Social Club

Big Box from Big Ship
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Beauty of Nikon Industrial Design

Lenses are the most important elements that can capture light and enable us to use light not only for commemorating life events but also to be used for precise optical replication. One of the distinguished optical mysteries for me are the lenses used in Step-and-Repeat Systems, known as Steppers.

Most advanced and extremely precise optical relay systems allow to replicate design in scale of nanometers. In such systems all details connected to optical elements are critical and precision is the ground stone of every stepper unit.

Wooden Crate Packing

These stepper lenses were found and acquired from Middle East region about 10 years ago and came in very noble and bullet proof packaging. Such protection is a piece of art itself. Transportation was only possible via a big shipping company that can handle large and heavy packages. Total weight of such package was more than 50 kg.

Weight Over 50 kg
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Bullet Proof Packaging
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Stepper Lens Package
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Nikon Stepper Lens

Nikon warrior Stepper lens with companion of 35mm Nikkor-O, F-mount lens. This Industrial lens has 2 optical elements. Both optical elements have diameter 265 mm, Overall size is 92 mm x 380 mm. Lens body markings show description 4eN3 which connects this lens to specific Stepper unit. Second markings start with 4k512.
I suppose these are the specific details of the Stepper unit.

WEIGHT is 30.5 KG ! (67.2 Ponds)

Such lens was part of a relay system with several other optical and mechanical elements.

Left is a Nikkor 35mm F2 Lens
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

WEIGHT is 30.5 KG ! ( 67.2 pounds )
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

The Beauty of Industrial Nikkor Lens
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Beautiful Metal Work

Every manufacturing detail is delight to observe. Laser based welding, cutouts, fixing points, dimensional tension release elements or mounting adapter points. Wherever you look, you find a beauty in design and industrial manufacturing. It is a piece of art and beauty.

Beauty in Design
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Beauty in Industrial Manufacturing
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

A Piece of Art and Beauty
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Lens Coating

Lens coatings are very different than the ones we can observe on lenses for common photography. In this case they possess close similarities with Ultra Micro Nikkor lenses coatings. These large Stepper lenses are the new generation of the former UMN lenses and could be easily described as their descendants with highly developed abilities for extreme optical results.

In such relay systems as used in Stepper Units, all aspects have to be thought after, not only constant air-conditioned environment (Without any significant dimensional changes) but also anti vibration fixing points for the lens elements, so they can be stable and "locked" always in the same position.

Beauty of Nikon Industrial Design
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

The Most Gorgeous Lens in the World
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Gorgeous Convex Lens

Second Industrial Nikon Lens was part of the same relay system as the brother showed on photos above. It has single optical Convex element with diameter of 255 mm, Total dimensions are 330 x 53 mm.
WEIGHT is 8.26 kg ! (18.2 Pounds)

Gorgeous Convex Lens
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

WEIGHT is 8.26 KG ! ( 18.2 Pounds )
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

A Nikon Stepper Lens Collector's Dreaming
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

God Bless You
Photo: Copyright (c) 2021, Martin Moravcik, All Rights Reserved.

Nikon Museum

Special Exhibition
"Ultra-Micro-NIKKOR - a Genealogy of the World's Highest Resolution Lenses"

It was in 2018 that a wonderful exhibition was held at the Nikon Museum in Tokyo. For more detailed reports, please refer to the UMN Nikon Museumn Report .

At the entrance of the exhibition, a projection lens for semiconductor lithography equipment was displayed. This large lens is close to the production date of the lens owned by Martin-san. However, it is unclear which model of the Nikon semiconductor lithography system Martin-san's lens was mounted on. Please understand that his lenses are just a part of such a Nikon projection lens.

A very large lens welcomes visitors at the entrance of the exhibition

Projection Lens for the NSR-S306C Semiconductor Lithography System
2001

NA 0.75, Resolving Power is 5,000 lines/mm (100 nm)

A projection lens that utilizes an ArF eximer laser (wavelength: 193 nm) as its loght source. From this lens onward, the ArF laser has continued to be used as the light source for mass production of semiconductors.

WARNING ! Inhalation Hazard

Stop supply nitrogen when you open.

Beautiful Metal Art

The surface of the lens barrel is engraved with handwriting. It looks like it was scratched with a sharp scriber or a tool like an engraving chisel. The engraving "4aN3" can be read.

Projection Lens for the NSR-S306C Semiconductor Lithography System

Front Lens

Collector's Note

My advice for anyone who wants to collect Nikon stepper lenses from now on.
I recommend deploying a UNIC carrier (truck mounted crane) and an overhead crane at your home.

The projection lens of the g-line stepper NSR1010G, which was first developed by Nikon in 1980, weighed only 10 kg. That is 2010. The projection lens of Nikon's ArF immersion scanner weighs 1,200 kg. Yes it is 1.2 tons. The lens alone weighs just over a ton.

The image below is the product "NSR-S622D" as of 2021.

ArF Immersion Scanner NCR-S622D

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Mr. Martin Moravcik of the Slovak Republic for taking and providing many valuable images for this article. Thank you very much.

Next Page Articles

→ Next    Chapter 2    Ultra Micro Nikkor 300mm F1.4g

Shortcuts

Chapter 0      Top Page
Chapter 1      Nikon Stepper Lens
Chapter 2      Ultra Micro Nikkor 300mm F1.4g

Martin's Special

You can browse more of Martin's collection on this site.

Article 1      Nikon AS-1 Martin Collection
Article 2      EL Nikkor 360mm F5.6 Lens
Article 3      EL Nikkor 300mm F5.6 Lens

Back to RED BOOK NIKKOR


Copyright Michio Akiyama, Tokyo Japan 2021