Onto expands partnership with Rigaku through 27% equity investment
By combining Rigaku’s X-ray technologies with Onto Innovation’s complementary optical metrology and advanced analytics software, the companies aim to deliver next-generation hybrid metrology solutions for increasingly complex semiconductor devices.
US company Onto Innovation has announced a strategic collaboration with Japan’s Rigaku Holdings Corporation to advance next-generation process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing.
Rigaku, a manufacturer of X-ray-related technologies, is engaged with customers across a wide range of markets, including a growing presence in process control for semiconductor fabrication.
By combining Rigaku’s X-ray technologies with Onto Innovation’s complementary optical metrology and advanced analytics software, including AI-driven solutions, the companies aim to deliver next-generation hybrid metrology solutions for increasingly complex semiconductor devices, according to a media release.
Deepening the ongoing collaboration, Onto has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement with Atom Investment, L.P., an affiliate of The Carlyle Group, to acquire 27% of the outstanding common stock of Rigaku for approximately USD 710 million.
Onto is collaborating with Rigaku to develop X‑ray solutions, integrating Onto’s Ai Diffract analysis software with Rigaku’s critical dimension small‑angle X‑ray scattering (CD‑SAXS) platforms, the media release said.
“Demand for Onto Innovation’s Atlas OCD technology continues to increase as the adoption of optical metrology moves into the 1nm process technology node. Working closely with our customers, we see additional value in the insights X-ray technology can provide,” said Mike Plisinski, chief executive officer of Onto Innovation. “Onto Innovation and Rigaku are currently demonstrating compelling results to customers, giving them the ability to aggregate and correlate data across platforms—pairing the speed and location information of OCD with the precision of X-ray, particularly for deeper structures.”
“Rigaku has developed a broad set of powerful X-ray solutions and components over its 75-year history. Our systems are used in a variety of applications in industrial and scientific applications including a growing opportunity in semiconductors,” said Jun Kawakami, chief executive officer of Rigaku. “Our collaboration with Onto Innovation has been positive, benefiting customers by combining the strengths of both Rigaku and Onto Innovation in service to the customer.”
