BACUS Technical Group

Join BACUS today!

BACUS (Bay Area Chromium Users Society) is an international professional organization for mask makers, equipment suppliers, and mask users, dedicated to advancing the technology and commercial application of masks for microlithography.

Two BACUS members smiling and networking at an SPIE event

BACUS Monthly News

Monthly community updates

Covering current business and technical issues for the photomask community. Visit the BACUS News page to view the current issue and browse archives.

Front pages of three BACUS newsletters

BACUS-sponsored webinars

Watch the latest webinar recording

This webinar explores how to apply deep learning to semiconductor manufacturing projects.

BACUS Scholarship

Support for students

BACUS sponsors a yearly scholarship to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in the field of microlithography with an emphasis on optical tooling and/or semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

Smiling attendee at an SPIE event

BACUS yearly membership investment

Individual

With SPIE Membership $25
No SPIE Membership $50
Benefits include:
  • Subscription to BACUS News (monthly)
  • Eligibility to hold office on BACUS Steering Committee

Join or Renew

Not an SPIE Member? Download BACUS membership form.

Corporate

With SPIE Corporate Membership $180 – $600*
Benefits include:
  • Subscription to BACUS News (monthly)
  • Listed as a Corporate Member in the BACUS Monthly Newsletter
  • Promotional signage at either/both SPIE Advanced Lithography and SPIE Photomask conferences.

Join or Renew

*Depends on company size and revenue.

About BACUS

Founded in 1980 by a group of chrome blank users wanting a single voice to interact with suppliers, BACUS has grown to become the largest and most widely known forum for the exchange of technical information in the field of photomask applications, manufacturing, research, and development. BACUS joined SPIE in January of 1991 to expand the exchange of information with photomask manufacturers around the world as well as with the external design enhancement community and end users of the products.
 
The group sponsors an informative monthly meeting and newsletter, BACUS News. The SPIE/BACUS Annual Photomask Technology Symposium covers photomask technology focused on the infrastructure necessary to advance and enhance the technology going forward. This includes fundamental photomask processes; materials, resist, lithography, etch, clean, metrology, inspection, repair, quality, and manufacturing management. In addition, phase shift mask technology for enhanced imaging for critical layer patterning has opened opportunities to collaborate with the lithography community and has been well integrated into the charter of the BACUS group. Forward looking concepts of design for manufacturing involving photomask technology is currently well under way with extensive activity in rigorous simulations of true photomask optical and physical attributes.
 
The evolution of BACUS into a synergistic organization of design, application, and photomask manufacturing is an exciting opportunity to bridge several interactive fields. BACUS continues to promote this effort through a strong community consisting of individuals who are interested in further integrating technology to drive the community forward.

Current BACUS leadership

2022 BACUS Steering Committee

  • President: Jed Rankin, IBM Research
  • Vice President: Henry Kamberian, Photronics, Inc.
  • Secretary: Vidya Vaenkatesan, ASML Netherlands BV
  • Newsletter Editor: Artur Balasinski, Infineon Technologies
  • SPIE Photomask + Technology Conference Chairs: Ted Liang, Intel Corp.; Seong-Sue Kim, Yonsei University

Members at Large:

  • Frank E. Abboud, Intel Corp.
  • Uwe F. W. Behringer, UBC Microelectronics
  • Ingo Bork, Siemens EDA
  • Tom Cecil, Synopsys, Inc.
  • Brian Cha, Entegris Korea
  • Aki Fujimura, D2S, Inc.
  • Emily Gallagher, imec
  • Jon Haines, Micron Technology Inc.
  • Sungmin Huh, Samsung
  • Koji Ichimura, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
  • Bryan Kasprowicz, HOYA
  • Romain J Lallement, IBM Research
  • Khalid Makhamreh, Applied Materials, Inc.
  • Kent Nakagawa, Toppan Photomasks, Inc.
  • Patrick Naulleau, EUVL
  • Jan Hendrik Peters, bmbg consult
  • Steven Renwick, Nikon
  • Douglas J. Resnick, Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.
  • Thomas Scheruebl, Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
  • Ray Shi, KLA Corp.
  • Thomas Struck, Infineon Technologies AG
  • Anthony Vacca, Automated Visual Inspection
  • Andy Wall, HOYA
  • Michael Watt, Shin-Etsu MicroSi Inc.
  • Larry Zurbrick, Keysight Technologies, Inc.

Exhibition and Sponsorship Coordinator:

  • Melissa Valum, SPIE Sales Representative, Exhibitions and Sponsorships

BACUS Technical Group Manager:

  • Tim Lamkins, SPIE