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Hitachi High-Tech
History

Key Developments in Electron Microscope

1939 Subcommittee No.37, University-industry cooperative research committee on electron microscopy (currently The Japanese Society of Microscopy) formed.
1941 First TEM prototype HU-1 successfully took photographs in Hitachi Research Laboratory.
1942 Delivered Japan's first commercial TEM model HU-21 to Nagoya Imperial University.
1948 Delivered TEM model HU-4 to Hokkaido University and other institutions.
1952 Nissei Sangyo Co., Ltd. started selling TEM in Japan.
1956 Shipped the first TEM model HU-9 to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
1957 Exhibited TEM models HU-10 and HS-5 at a commercial exhibition in New York.
1958 TEM models HS-6 and HM-3, which used permanent magnets, awarded the Grand Prix at the World Exposition 1958 in Brussels.
1961 Naka Works was established.
Delivered Japan's first commercial EPMA2 XMA-4.
1964 Started research on SEM at Central Research Laboratory.
1966 TEM reached 1,000 units in total.
1969 Hitachi's first commercial SEM HSM-2 was launched.
1970 Introduced FE technology developed by Dr. Albert V. Crewe.
1971 Developed the first FE-SEM prototype HFS-1.
1972 Launched HFS-2, the first commercial FE-SEM manufactured in Japan.
Delivered 2MV ultrahigh voltage TEM to Osaka University.
1976 Received the Okochi Memorial Technology Prize for "Development of Field Emission Type High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HFS-2) ."
1978 Central Research Laboratory successfully developed an FE-TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.062nm and observed magnetic field lines.
1982 Computer controlled FE-SEM S-800 was launched
1983 Delivered 100kV FE-TEM H-600FE to Osaka University.
1984 Launched CD-SEM3 S-6000 for semiconductor devices.
1985 Delivered the ultrahigh resolution in-lens FE-SEM UHS-T1 to Tottori University.
1986 Launched the in-lens FE-SEM S-900.
Central Research Laboratory fully demonstrated the Aharanov-Bohm effect, providing a sound basis for the experimental findings of 1982.
1988 Launched CD-SEM S-7000, a wafer process evaluation tool for semiconductor devices.
1989 Central Research Laboratory successfully developed a 350kV holography TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.055nm and observed dynamic flux quantum.
Delivered the ultrahigh resolution low voltage in-lens FE-SEM S-900LV to Japan Women's University.
FE-SEM reached 1,000 units in total.
Launched a 200kV FE-TEM HF-2000.
1991 Launched Hitachi's first low vacuum SEM S-2250N.
1992 Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4500.
1994 Launched CD-SEM S-8800.
1995 Delivered a 3MV ultrahigh voltage TEM featuring the world's highest voltage to Osaka University.
200kV FE-SEM Miracle Eye HM-2000 received the R&D 100 Award by R&D Magazine.
1996 Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4700.
CD-SEM reached 1,000 units in total.
1998 Launched the ultra-thin film evaluation system HD-2000.
2000 Advanced Research Laboratory successfully developed a 1MV ultrahigh voltage FE-TEM with a lattice resolution of 0.0498nm and observed high-temperature superconductors.
Launched CD-SEM S-9300.
2001 Launched Defect Review SEM RS-3000.
2002 Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM S-4800.
2005 Launched the Tabletop Microscope TM-1000.
2006 Launched CD-SEM CG4000.
Launched the Spherical Aberration Corrected FE-STEM4 HD-2700.
Launched the 300 kV FE-TEM HF-3300.
2008 Received the Okochi Memorial Production Award for the development and application of an advanced CD-SEM for measuring ultra-fine semiconductor patterns.
Launched the semi-in-lens FE-SEM SU8000.
2010 Launched Defect Review SEM RS6000.
2011 Launched the in-lens FE-SEM SU9000.
Launched CD-SEM CG5000.
CD-SEM and FE-SEM reached 4,000 units and 5,000 units in total.
2012 Received the IEEE Milestone for first practical field emission electron microscope.

1 The HU-2 is on display at the Nagoya University Museum and is registered in the database of materials on the history of industrial technology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, and also received the One Step on Electro-Technology from The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.
2 EPMA: Electron Probe Micro Analyzer
3 CD-SEM: Critical Dimension-Scanning Electron Microscope
4 FE-STEM: Field Emission-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

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