January 26, 2006 – In a move to return focus to its core assembly business, Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., Willow Grove, PA, has agreed to sell assets and IP of its wafer test and package test businesses.

Despite progress with each business over the past few months, including product introductions, marketshare gains, and inroads into China, the company has diverted its focus away from its core strengths in the semiconductor assembly arena, stated Scott Kulicke, chairman and CEO of K&S. “We came to the conclusion that our test customers would be better served by suppliers focused solely on test.”

The wafer test assets covering blade, cantilever, vertical, and advanced-vertical probe card and wafer interface products, goes to SV Probe PTE Ltd. for $10 million in cash. K&S’ probe card business posted $65 million in sales in calendar 2004, ranked third in the segment, with SV Probe ranked eighth with $20 million in sales.

The company’s package test assets will go in a venture buyout by New York/London-based Investcorp’s technology investment group. Terms of that deal were not disclosed.