Veeco Acquires ThermoMicroscopes
Source: Veeco Instruments
Santa Barbara, CA. Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) today announced that it has acquired ThermoMicroscopes, formerly a subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE: TMO). Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ThermoMicroscopes, which will now be called TM Microscopes, manufactures Atomic Force Microscopes, Scanning Probe Microscopes (AFMs and SPMs), Near Field Optical Microscopes and probes. TM Microscopes is based in Sunnyvale, CA and had 2000 sales of approximately $14 million.
Edward H. Braun, Chairman, CEO and President of Veeco commented, "This purchase broadens our AFM product line, adds proprietary tip technology, and allows us to offer a versatile research microscope product line ideal for a variety of material science and nanoscience applications." TM Microscope s employees will remain in Sunnyvale and will become part of the Veeco Metrology Group, headed by President Don Kania, Ph.D.
Dr. Kania added, "Veeco s and TM Microscope s SPM/AFM products are very complementary. We now offer the most complete product line available - from low-cost research microscopes to general purpose industrial systems to fully automated systems for semiconductor, data storage, and optical telecommunications. We see synergies in existing products, intellectual property, basic technologies and in the exciting new products already under development and planned for the future. This agreement also strengthens Veeco s leadership in the rapidly growing areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology."
Dr. Gary Aden, VP and GM of TM Microscopes commented, "The combination of the AFM/SPM technologies of Veeco and TM Microscopes will enable even further success in the research marketplace. Veeco s global sales, service and support will help us to better meet the needs of our customers."
Veeco Instruments Inc. is a worldwide leader in process equipment and metrology tools for the optical telecommunications, data storage, semiconductor and research markets. Manufacturing and engineering facilities are located in New York, California, Colorado, Arizona and Minnesota. Global sales and service offices are located throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific. Additional information on Veeco can be found at http://www.veeco.com.
To the extent that this news release discusses expectations about market conditions or about market acceptance and future sales of Veeco s products, or otherwise makes statements about the future, such statements are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include the cyclical nature of the optical telecommunications, data storage and semiconductor industries, risks associated with the acceptance of new products by individual customers and by the marketplace, and other factors discussed in the Business Description and Management s Discussion and Analysis sections of Veeco s Report on Form 10-K and Annual Report to Shareholders.
Web site: http://www.veeco.com
