Purchased 9 percent of outstanding shares to build upon four years of successful collaboration on hybrid bonding technology for advanced packaging

Applied Materials, Inc. has purchased 9 percent of the outstanding shares of the common stock of BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (Besi), a manufacturer of assembly equipment for the semiconductor industry.

The collaboration between Applied and Besi began in 2020, and they recently extended their agreement to co-develop an integrated equipment solution for die-based hybrid bonding. Hybrid bonding connects chips using direct copper-to-copper bonds, increasing density and shortening interconnect wiring lengths between chiplets. This results in improved performance and reduced power consumption for semiconductor chips.

“We view this as a strategic, long-term investment that demonstrates Applied Materials’ commitment to co-developing the industry’s most capable hybrid bonding solution,” said Terry Lee, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Heterogeneous Integration and Packaging at Applied Materials. He noted the importance of this technology for advanced logic and memory chips.

Applied Materials and Besi have developed a hybrid bonding system that combines Applied’s expertise in wafer and chip processing with Besi’s die placement and assembly solutions. This system aims to enable high-volume manufacturing of hybrid bonded devices over the coming years.

The investment occurred through market-based transactions and does not require regulatory approvals. Applied Materials does not intend to seek board representation at Besi or purchase more shares.