Applied Materials acquires 9% stake in BE Semiconductor Industries

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 acquired 9 percent of the outstanding shares of the common stock of BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. The partnership aims to enhance their joint effort in developing an integrated equipment solution for hybrid bonding, a technology significant for semiconductor packaging.

Hybrid bonding connects chips with direct copper-to-copper bonds, improving chip density and interconnect efficiency, which is essential for creating more energy-efficient chips. Terry Lee, Corporate Vice President and General Manager at Applied Materials, commented, “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, a technology that is becoming increasingly important to the advanced logic and memory chips at the foundation of AI.”

The investment is executed through market-based transactions and does not require regulatory approvals. Applied Materials has no plans to seek board representation at Besi or acquire additional shares.