Nanometrics buys Soluris for overlay metrology

March 16, 2006 – Barely a month after it acquired scatterometry pioneer Accent Optical Technologies Inc. for roughly $80 million, Nanometrics Inc., Milpitas, CA, is back at it again, snapping up overlay metrology firm Soluris Inc. for $7.0 million in cash.

Soluris was formed in 2003 through a management buyout of optical and electron metrology assets of Schlumberger Ltd.’s semiconductor group. The flagship IVS 155 product is used for 200mm semiconductor overlay and CD measurement. Soluris boasts a user base of 150 installed systems worldwide. CEO Alain Bojarski will continue to run the unit from its Concord, MA headquarters.

With the deal, Nanometrics says it will add about $8-$10 million in annual revenues, along with 37 employees at sites in the US, Europe, and Asia. Soluris also has “compelling” IP not only in overlay and CD measurement but also in the CD-SEM area, Nanometrics noted.

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