We are pleased to announce that IMS Co-Founder and Senior Advisor Hans Loeschner has been honored with the BACUS 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions toward the development of the IMS electron multi-beam mask-writer (MBMW) technology. He received the prize at the SPIE Photomask Technology and Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography conference in Monterey, California, on 2 October 2024.
As BACUS President Jed Rankin stressed in his speech, this technology was probably mentioned in about 95 % of the presentations shown at BACUS this year since it really enabled the mask industry to continue its advancements and is key to the success of high-NA EUV lithography.
In 1985, Hans Loeschner was cofounder of IMS- Ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme GmbH, and in 2001 of IMS Nanofabrication GmbH. In the course of his career, Hans Loeschner has contributed to more than 20 patents and is co-author of more than 200 publications. He is program committee member of the SPIE Advanced Lithography – Novel Patterning Technologies, and program chair of the European Mask and Lithography Conference (EMLC) 2025. In 2012, he was granted the MNE Fellowship Award, in 2017 – together with IMS CEO Elmar Platzgummer – the BACUS Prize Award.
“This is a moment of immense pride for all of us at IMS! Hans Loeschner’s vision and drive have shaped our company and the semiconductor industry as a whole. This award is a true testament to his pioneering spirit and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of our industry, and Hans’ legacy continues to inspire us all,” says CEO Elmar Platzgummer.
The BACUS Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the BACUS Photomask Technical Group to recognize an individual who, during their lifetime, has made distinct contributions of outstanding business or technical significance to the photomask industry. SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, which was founded in 1955, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology.
