News

13 October 2006

 

K&S to enter die bonder market

Wire bonding assembly equipment maker Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc (K&S) of Fort Washington, PA, USA has signed an agreement to acquire Alphasem, a supplier of die bonder equipment, from Dover Technologies International Inc for $30m, subject to a working capital adjustment. Subject to the usual closing conditions, K&S expects to complete the acquisition around November 3, 2006.

"The acquisition of Alphasem is a natural extension of K&S's core equipment business into die bonding equipment. The die bonding process precedes the wire bonding step in semiconductor chip manufacturing, and normally utilizes adjacent floor space and a common engineering team," said K&S equipment segment VP, Christian Rheault. "According to VLSI Research, the die bonder market was $520 million in calendar year 2005. The Alphasem team has good market presence, provides strong engineering and process expertise, and has demonstrated a long standing commitment to the die bonder market."

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