Influential work in image formation to be recognized with prestigious award
Donis Flagello |
BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA, and CARDIF, UK -- Donis Flagello, President, CEO, and COO of Nikon Research Corporation of America (NRCA), will be presented with the 2017 Frits Zernike Award for Microlithography on Monday 27 February during SPIE Advanced Lithography in San Jose, California.
The award, presented annually for outstanding accomplishments in microlithography technology, recognizes Flagello’s driving role in the understanding and improvement of image formation in optical lithography for semiconductor manufacturing.
A prominent member of the microlithography community since the early 1980s and a longtime SPIE Fellow, Flagello has primarily focused on the rigorous application of physics to lithography modeling and problem solving.
His work improved understanding of the lithographic process through development of methods that took into account previously unaccounted-for physical effects, thereby enabling the printing of smaller geometries.
Early in his career, while at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, he developed the first practical test for measuring flare in optical lithography tools and made major contributions to high numerical aperture (NA) modeling of imaging tools, including vector and polarization effects, and radiometric correction.
Later, at ASML in The Netherlands, he helped create a culture to complement data collection for characterizing and specifying lithographic tools. As director of ASML’s Advanced Technology Development Center in Arizona, his leadership resulted in advances in lithography capabilities for ASML tools, and played an important role in providing analysis of aberrations for new systems and high NA imaging effects due to polarization.
Flagello’s contributions to the microlithography industry stand out as one of the key aspects of his career, said Timothy Brunner of GlobalFoundries, Inc. “His unusual career trajectory has made a large impact on the technical and the business success of the worldwide microlithography industry.”
Another notable aspect of his career, Flagello’s presentations at lithography conferences and papers in various journals have inspired a better understanding of optics and resist behavior and helped drive optical lithography forward, colleagues said.
“His presentations are known for their combination of humor with a deep understanding of the complex interactions between physical optics and lithographic process technology,” said David Williamson, an NRCA Fellow. “His combined theoretical and practical production experience and knowledge are rare in this field.”
Both Brunner and Williamson are previous Frits Zernike Award winners as well as Fellows of SPIE.
| 'His combined theoretical and practical production experience and knowledge are rare.' |
About SPIE
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering and technology. The Society serves nearly 264,000 constituents from approximately 166 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2016, SPIE provided $4 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org
Contact:
Amy Nelson
Public Relations Manager
amy@spie.org
+1 360 685 5478
@SPIEtweets
All photos © SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, except where noted.