Artifact Details

Description

Shoichiro Yoshida joined Nikon Corporation in 1956 after graduating from the University of Tokyo with a major in precision mechanical engineering. For the first 15 years at Nikon he was involved in the design of optical and other precision instruments, including astronomical telescopes, spectroscopic instruments and ruling engines for optical grating.

Yoshida was instrumental in Nikon’s strategy to merge optical technology with precision instrumentation to develop products specifically for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, including automatic mask defect detectors. He also led the development of the NSR step and repeat system during the 1970s and Nikon’s first stepper, the NSR-1010G, which was released in 1980.

In 1983, Yoshida was appointed division manager for Nikon’s stepper products. Five years later he was promoted to managing director of Nikon Corporation, with wider responsibility for the microscope and measuring instruments division as well as steppers.

Yoshida was subsequently appointed executive vice president and in 1997 became president of Nikon Corporation. He was named chairman and CEO in 2001. Yoshida was elected to the board of directors of SEMI in 1990 and served a term as chairman of SEMI in 1998/1999.

Date

2004-04-08

Contributor

Addison, Craig, Interviewer

Yoshida, Shoichiro, Interviewee

Publisher

Computer History Museum

Place of Publication

Tokyo, Japan

Extent

9 p.

Copyright Holder

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI)

Category

Oral history

Collection Title

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) oral histories and company videos

Credit

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International

Lot Number

X6196.2011

Related Records

102746382

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) oral history collection