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Doc. No. PR060720E
Applied Materials and Dainippon
Screen Sign Final Agreement to Form Sokudo Joint Venture
Company
 KYOTO,
Japan, July 20, 2006 —Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Screen)
and Applied Materials, Inc. today announced the signing of the
final agreement to form a joint venture company called Sokudo,
Co., Ltd. The new company brings together the complementary resources
and capabilities of Screen and Applied Materials to deliver advanced,
technically differentiated coat/develop track solutions for customers’ critical
semiconductor manufacturing requirements.
Sokudo Co., Ltd.,
headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is 52% owned by Screen and 48% owned
by Applied Materials. Screen’s existing coat/develop track business
and related intellectual property are being transferred to Sokudo,
including employees, products and its installed base of systems. Applied
Materials contributed ¥16.6 billion (approximately US$151
million) to Sokudo and is transferring technology, related intellectual
property and key development employees to the company.
Sokudo is operated
as a separate entity headed by chief executive officer Takashige Suetake,
executive vice chairman of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. and president
of Screen’s Semiconductor Equipment Company.
Sokudo’s Board of Directors includes Michael Splinter, CEO and president
of Applied Materials; Me- nachem Erad, group vice president and chief of staff
of Applied Materials; Farhad Moghadam, senior vice president and general manager
of Applied’s Thin Films Group; Masahiro Hashimoto, representative director
and COO of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.; and Tadahiro Suhara, corporate officer
of Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. and vice president of Semiconductor Equipment
Company.
“This joint
venture demonstrates a strong commitment by both companies to provide
our customers with innovative track solutions to meet the challenges
of nanometer-scale manufacturing,” said Mike Splinter.
“Combining Applied and Screen’s talents and resources will allow
us to create advanced, highly competi- tive products with new levels of performance
in a shorter timeframe. These track products will also enhance Applied’s
expanding portfolio of lithography-enabling solutions designed to help customers
cost-effectively move forward into the next technology generations.”
“Sokudo
is a company that combines both the coat/develop track development
and production expertise cultivated over many years by Screen with
the advanced product technology and expertise possessed by Applied
Materials. Screen has already established a strong reputation for its
manufacturing technology and quality control, and we are constantly
working to create systems that can deliver the products customers have
come to expect in a shorter period of time.” noted Takashige
Suetake, “Sokudo has a clear road map of its direction, and this
select Japan/U.S. team is thoroughly focused on the development and
assessment of the advanced processes that will lead us forward into
the next-generation of systems.”
According to market
researcher Gartner Dataquest, the market for track systems was estimated
to be $1.4 billion in 2005 and is forecast to grow to nearly $2.0 billion
in 2008.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to Applied Materials’ joint
venture with Dainippon Screen and expected benefits of the transaction, including
new product development/commercialization and growth opportunities; Applied’s
and Screen’s technology leadership and capabilities; and the market for
track systems. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied,
including but not limited to: the satisfaction of closing conditions;
successful integration of Applied’s and Screen’s respective contributions
to the joint venture; the joint venture’s ability to develop, manufacture
and commercialize products; sustainability of demand in the semiconductor and
semiconductor equipment industries, which is subject to many factors, including
global economic conditions, business spending, consumer confidence, demand for
electronic products and integrated circuits, and geopolitical uncertainties;
Applied Materials’ ability to develop, deliver and support a broad range
of products and to expand its markets and develop new markets; retention of key
employees; and other risks described in Applied Materials’
Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
All forward-looking statements are based on managements’ estimates,
projections and assumptions as of the date hereof and Applied Materials
assumes no obligation to update any such statement.
Sokudo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, was
established on July 3, 2006 for the development, manu-facturing, sales
and service of advanced coat/develop track equipment for semiconductor
production. Its website is www.sokudospeed.com.
Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. was
established in 1943 and is a top 10 supplier of semiconductor
fabrication equipment, specializing in wafer cleaning systems,
coat/develop track equipment, and next-generation flash an- neal
tools. Dainippon Screen is a public company quoted on the Tokyo
stock exchange (TSE: 7735). Its website is www.screen.co.jp.
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:
AMAT) is the global leader in nanomanufacturing technology™ solutions
for the electronics industry with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment,
service and software products. At Ap-plied Materials, we apply nanomanufacturing
technology to improve the way people live. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.
CONTACTS:
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Sokudo Co., Ltd.
Helen Armer (press contact) 408/986-7592
Applied Materials
Dave Miller (business media) 408/563-9582
Betty Newboe (technical media) 408/563-0647
Randy Bane (financial community) 408/986-7916
Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Kyoto, Japan)
Hiroaki Nakamura (corporate communications department) synchronize@screen.co.jp |
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