SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Intel Corp. has made an investment in one of its key fab tool suppliers, ASM International N.V. (ASMI).
Intel Capital, the company's venture capital arm, has purchased 4 percent of ASMI's total common share capital, based on approximately 54 million common shares outstanding.
ASMI appears to be in financial trouble, prompting Intel and others to invest in the Dutch firm. Amid a loss for the quarter, ASMI recently disclosed that rival Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) has acquired a 4.9 percent stake in the Dutch-based equipment vendor.
ASMI's main high-k tool customer is Intel. ASMI recently posted first quarter sales of 89.1 million euros ($117 million), down 41 percent from the fourth quarter of 2008 and down 55 percent from the first quarter of 2008.
Net loss in the first quarter of 2009 was 23.3 million euros ($30.6 million), as compared to net loss of 6.2 million euros ($8.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2008 and net earnings of 12.6 million euros ($16.5 million) for the first quarter of 2008. Bookings from its front-end segment were down 32 percent and bookings from its back-end segment were up 65 percent.
In January, ASMI said it is accelerating plans to restructure in Europe and that as a result 200 jobs will be lost in Almere, the Netherlands.
One of the most outspoken members of the supervisory board of ASMI, Leon van den Boom, recently resigned from the board with immediate effect, citing "diverging views" about the future direction of the company for the departure. The company has been under pressure to change its operations and direction for well over a year .
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
