Sumitomo Chemical buys ATMI GaAs epi business
The facility includes a number of MOVPE machines used to grow GaAs-based epiwafers, particularly HBTs.
It is now clear that the purchaser is Sumitomo Chemical, a Japanese company that already has a GaAs epiwafer manufacturing capability as well as supplying metalorganic chemicals and high-purity gallium to the compound semiconductor industry.
In order to concentrate on its epiwafer business (which it terms MOEPI, or metalorganic epitaxial), Sumitomo Chemical has formed two new companies to produce epiwafers for the cellular phone market and other mobile communication applications.
In Japan, Sumika Epi-Solution, Co., Ltd. will manufacture epiwafers at Sumitomo Chemical s Chiba works using epitaxial equipment designed in house. The recently upgraded facilities are designed to meet future growth in demand.
In the US, Sumika Electronic Materials, Inc. will produce epiwafers at the former ATMI facility and also market other relevant Sumitomo products.
Sumitomo says that the establishment of these wholly owned subsidiaries shows its commitment to providing flexible and well-timed responses to the changing needs of its customers in the Japanese and US markets, a commitment the company will underpin by synergistically linking technologies developed in the Japan and US.
