JSR Micro

Washington, DC: (Sep-10-07) The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) brought charges against JSR Micro, after the company voluntarily disclosed to BIS that it had exported photoresists without the required licenses from BIS. A photoresist is a thin material placed between a mask and a substrate, such as a semiconductor, which allows circuits or other patterns to be etched under the substrate. Light is used to expose the photoresist and then a chemical process is used to remove exposed or unexposed portions of the photoresist. The shorter the wavelength of the light used to expose the photoresist, the higher the resolution of the image achieved on the substrate. The BIS claimed that export licenses are required for photoresists optimized for use with light wavelengths that are 350 nm or shorter.

In a settlement reached, JSR Micro agreed to pay a civil penalty of $270,000. According to the documents filed with the settlement agreement, JSR Micro engaged in 45 separate unlicensed exports of the photoresists to Israel, Singapore, and Taiwan. These documents, however, charged JSR Micro with 90 separate violations. Each export was deemed a violation of the Export Administration Regulations. Officials stated that since each violation could result in an $11,000 fine, the charging letter asserted a potential liability of $990,000. [EXPORT LAW BLOG: PHOTORESISTS LICENSE]

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Published on Sep-15-07