The Dutch company ASML Holding - one of the world's largest manufacturers of lithography equipment for the production of chips - has agreed to acquire Taiwan-based Hermes Microvision. Hermes Microvision Company operates in the same area as ASML, but is engaged in the development and manufacture of equipment for the detection of defects on processed semiconductor wafers .
The sum of the deal is $ 3.2 billion dollars - this is one of the largest deals for IT-sector in Taiwan. Completion of the transaction is expected in the fourth quarter this year. The company has agreed to buy shares of ASML Hermes Microvision with 30% premium. For the operation ASML will take a loan of $ 1.69 billion. It is noteworthy that the merger promises to be just enough. Companies in the past have repeatedly cooperated and have joint projects in the sphere of creation of intellectual property.
Purchase of manufacturing equipment for the semiconductor test product quality producer of scanners is particularly important in the transition to the technological standards of 10 nm and below. This becomes even more of a challenge during the transition to the projection in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) having a wavelength of 13.5 nm. Development of equipment for testing the quality with such small sizes elements requires higher costs.