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Investing.com -- HORIBA STEC KOREA, Ltd., a subsidiary of HORIBA, has completed the acquisition of EtaMax Co., Ltd., a South Korean company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and selling of wafer inspection systems for the semiconductor market. The transaction was finalized on April 3, 2025.
The purchase of EtaMax is part of HORIBA's plan to expand its wafer inspection system lineup and enhance its solution-proposal capabilities. This will be achieved by integrating EtaMax’s software technology and extensive expertise in inspecting compound semiconductor wafers with HORIBA's in-house developed spectroscopy-related technologies. The integration aims to increase yield and improve quality control for compound semiconductor wafers.
The acquisition comes at a time when the demand for data centers is increasing due to the global expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI). This trend is accelerating the adoption of compound semiconductors, also known as next-generation power semiconductors. Despite their high performance and durability, the manufacturing process of these semiconductors often experiences yield loss due to wafer defects, creating a need for precise and efficient inspections.
HORIBA Group has set a sales target of 235 billion yen by 2028 in the Materials & Semiconductor field, a key area of focus in the Group’s Mid-Long Term Management Plan (MLMAP2028). To achieve this goal and provide comprehensive analytical solutions that enhance the semiconductor manufacturing process, it was crucial to strengthen the research and development of compound semiconductor wafer inspection systems.
EtaMax primarily develops wafer inspection systems using photoluminescence analysis technology. The company excels in a variety of applications, including assessing uniformity and identifying types of minute defects in compound semiconductor wafers. By acquiring EtaMax, HORIBA Group will be able to utilize its extensive global network to drive business expansion.
Moreover, the acquisition will accelerate new product development and enhance HORIBA's solution-proposal capabilities by synergizing EtaMax’s software technologies with HORIBA Group’s core technologies, such as Raman spectroscopy and ellipsometry. This synergy will aid in increasing yield and improving quality control in the mass-production of compound semiconductor wafers.
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