Big Box from Big Ship
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
Bullet Proof Packaging
Stepper Lens Package
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.
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
WEIGHT is 30.5 KG ! ( 67.2 pounds )
The Beauty of Industrial Nikkor Lens
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
Beauty in Industrial Manufacturing
A Piece of Art and Beauty
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
The Most Gorgeous Lens in the World
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.
Gorgeous Convex Lens
WEIGHT is 8.26 KG ! ( 18.2 Pounds )
A Nikon Stepper Lens Collector's Dreaming
God Bless You
Nikon Museum
Special Exhibition 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
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. 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
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Martin's Special You can browse more of Martin's collection on this site.
Article 1
Nikon AS-1 Martin Collection
Copyright Michio Akiyama, Tokyo Japan 2021
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