In brief: Arima, AET, SiGe Semiconductor, Leica
Arima Optoelectronics is increasing its LED manufacturing capacity by entering into a strategic partnership with fellow Taiwanese LED chip maker Advanced Epitaxy Technology (AET), according to the website Electronic Engineering Times.
The move, which is expected to be finalized by the end of March, will increase Arima's AlInGaP LED capacity from the current value of around 550 million units per month.
The additional capacity will help the company to fulfill its $98 million target for this year's LED revenue, which is a $17 million increase on sales in 2005.
The deal between Arima and AET follows last year's merger of both UEC and Epistar, and South Epitaxy Corporation and Epitech, and reflects the ongoing consolidation in Taiwan's LED manufacturing industry.
SiGe increases annual revenue by 63%SiGe Semiconductor posted annual revenue of $31.8 million for 2005, up 63% year over year, thanks to growing demand for the company's integrated circuits that feature in WLAN, WiMAX, Bluetooth and GPS applications.
The company has also appointed William Burke as chief financial officer (CFO). Burke was previously CFO at software firm Riverdeep, where he oversaw the company's launch onto the stock market.
Leica gets a new nameLeica Microsystems' semiconductor equipment division has been renamed as Vistec Semiconductor Systems. The change is due to last year's takeover of Leica's semiconductor business by US investment firm Golden Gate Capital.
"We are confident that the company's growth will continue under the new name and strengthen its leading market position for systems used for optical inspection, mask metrology, and electron beam lithography," remarked Papken Der Torossian, chairman of Vistec Semiconductor Systems.
