IRVINE, CALIF. – Newport Corp. announced during APEX and Photonics West that it will be acquiring Micro Robotics Systems Inc. (MRSI), a privately held company based in North Billerica, Mass. This adds precision die placement and dispensing capability to Newport's already broad portfolio of manufacturing capabilities.

Dan Crowley, VP at MRSI, described the deal to Advanced Packaging as a “dream fit” for MRSI, giving it increased distribution channels for its products. Also, according to Crowley, Newport approaches the optoelectronics market from the “ground up,” with offerings starting in the optics research labs and working through to volume production from there. MRSI comes at it from another direction, by expanding semiconductor and hybrid assembly equipment into optoelectronic applications.

According to Robert Deuster, chairman and CEO of Newport, this deal will help Newport “to become a leading single-source supplier of test, measurement and automation solutions to the fiber optic communication and semiconductor equipment markets.” He continued, “The combined product portfolio will allow us to provide a full range of solutions from chip qualification through assembly and testing.”

MRSI's Crowley said that the plan is for MRSI to stay intact when it becomes part of Newport.