Chip giant Vishay to acquire CyOptics' Israel fab
Vishay Intertechnology, a Fortune 1000 company and one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers, is set to move into InP optoelectronic device development with the acquisition of a wafer fabrication facility in Israel built by CyOptics.
CyOptics built the facility, at which InP- and GaAs-based optoelectronic devices have been both developed and mass-produced, prior to its recent acquisition of TriQuint's Breinigsville, PA, fab (see related story).
Vishay Israel says that it has signed a "letter of intent" to buy the site in Yokneam, subject to completion of due diligence and approval by Israeli authorities.
And the acquisition appears to be a good deal for the larger company - judging by its own comment that the purchase price "would not be material to Vishay".
Felix Zandman, who is the chief technical and business development officer at Vishay, said: "With its state-of-the-art wafer fab, the CyOptics Israel design team will provide the technological strength to place our existing optoelectronics division at the forefront of the GaAs and InP technologies."
"The fab can be adapted rapidly to the needs of Vishay and is part of the ongoing effort to advance the company for future markets," added Zandman, who also pointed out that the Yokneam facility had been used for both research work and production. Vishay says that it will develop new products at its new site.
CyOptics president Ed Coringrato added: "We built a world-class fab in Israel. We are delighted that it will remain a strong asset for the Israeli economy."
Since acquiring the TriQuint optoelectronics division, CyOptics has been consolidating production of InP-based lasers and detectors at the Breinigsville site.
