SK Hynix and Toshiba have announced they have struck a deal to jointly develop nanoimprint lithography (NIL), a candidate for the next-generation lithography technology.

The joint development will take place at Toshiba's Yokohama Complex in Yokohama (Japan) starting April 2015, and target practical use in 2017, according to the companies.

NIL is one candidate technology for advancing the migration to future generations of memory devices. Photolithography, the current mainstream process technology, uses a laser and photosensitive mask to etch circuits on a light-sensitive coating on semiconductor wafers. NIL transfers the circuit design directly, by impressing a patterned template onto the wafer. This has the potential to achieve finer designs, Toshiba indicated.

In addition, unlike traditional lithography methods, NIL allows high throughput patterning at low costs, SK Hynix said.

In December 2014, SK Hynix and Toshiba announced they had settled all outstanding claims between the companies, including a lawsuit brought by Toshiba against SK Hynix concerning trade secrets. The companies also noted they would expand their existing relationship and work together to jointly develop NIL.