News Article
Delivery of innovative track solutions
Applied Materials, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement to create a joint venture company with Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Screen) to deliver advanced, technically differentiated track solutions for customers' critical semiconductor manufacturing requirements.
The new company, to be called Sokudo Co., Ltd., will be headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, and will bring together the complementary resources and capabilities of Screen and Applied Materials. Sokudo will operate as a separate entity having its own management structure, with 52% owned by Screen and 48% owned by Applied Materials. Screen will transfer into the new company its existing track business and related intellectual property, including employees, products and its installed base of systems. Applied's contribution to Sokudo will include technology and related intellectual property, key development employees and 16.6 billion yen (approximately US$151 million). Screen will perform manufacturing for Sokudo under an outsourcing agreement."Partnering with Screen in this new company is an opportunity for Applied to grow our business by accelerating our entry into track, a large and growing market that complements our thin film nanomanufacturing technology capabilities," said Mike Splinter, president and CEO of Applied Materials. "We look forward to working with Screen and combining our extensive product knowledge and experience.".
