Despite the economic situation is not good, the 2012 semiconductor/electronic industry still several pile noteworthy manufacturers merger, deal; From these cases, we can see the evolution of the industry mainstream technology trend and future development direction.
One of them is in progress, is the microprocessor core suppliers MIPS sale case, the company announced in November will be divided into two parts to sell, business operation by Imagination Technologies paid $60 million takeover, patent combination the $350 million price sale and trade ARM leading investment alliance Bridge Crossing; But two weeks later, DSP core CEVA supplier at a higher bid $75 million for MIPS, may encourage other buyers, and finally put forward higher prices MIPS will take to come remains to be seen.
In the mixed signals and RF technology, GPS and Wireless chip suppliers U - blox $16.5 million acquisition of new IC design industry Cognovo, and $9 million acquisition of 4 m Wireless; U - blox buy the two companies of the reason, is good in 3 GPP LTE technology specialty. Several other pile worthy of note article deal listed below (not to deal size order) :
Apple purchase flash memory controller Anobit supplier
Apple (Apple) is announced in early 2012 $390 million acquisition of Israel Anobit start-up companies, the latter as technology can promote NAND flash memory of The Times, speaking, reading and writing. The whole deal shows the Apple on the key link to the supply chain, and the company in the next few years will be whether the wafer manufacturing industry, is want to know the answer.
AMD purchase miniature server SeaMicro manufacturers
AMD is in February announced $334 million acquisition of startups SeaMicro, this was founded in 2007 by only the original manufacturers make Intel Atom processor (Intel) of the server, and then advanced the Xeon processor series. Through the pile acquisition, the role of AMD from x86 processor supplier for transformation can provide a full range of server solution providers.
AMD announced job cuts in December will be 15% and organize reforming, the hope can receive $1.3 billion JiYing of profit and loss balance; But some observers to AMD loss situation and cash loss rate question, even said the company whether can stay in 2013.
Acquisition of Synopsys has several EDA trade
EDA supplier new thinking (Synopsy) deal pouring in this year, on February $500 million acquisition of Magma Design Automation, may announced the acquisition of optical Design and simulation software suppliers RSoft Design Group, two months later announced acquisition mixed signals and analog wiring tool supplier Ciranova. Then this year in August, announced the acquisition of Taiwan's IC debug and validation software industry siyuan (SpringSoft).
Qualcomm acquisition Pixtronix, DesignArts
Mobile phone application processor giant Qualcomm (Qualcomm) in 2012 was also busy acquisition, acquisition of earlier this year without fab MEMS display startups Pixtronix, details not been announced, but the industry guess the price is in 175 million to $200 million, between Qualcomm acquisition Pixtronix purpose should be to replace Mirasol with its technology. And the Pixtronix MEMS shutter technology and it is said that the recent high investment Sharp (Sharp) about a case.
In August, qualcomm acquisition Israel small base stations (small cell basestation systems) chips and software industry DesignArt Networks, amount was not published; The local media report noted that the deal trading amount should be in between $120 million and $140 million. Qualcomm through continuous acquisition, is stable to the world's largest chip supplier's goal.
Taiwan's M&M brothers
2012 years electronic industrial deal is not only occurred in Europe, America, Taiwan no fab chip design industry MediaTek inc. (MediaTek) and the morning star (MStar Semiconductor) merger is global attention; Mediatek inc is in June announced the acquisition of morning star 48% equity, Taiwan fair trade commission has approved the case in August. The two was originally a rival company is production intelligent mobile phones or multimedia device application of SoC, and in digital TV chip total market share of sixty percent.
Mediatek inc. General manager xie qingjiang river in January to accept EETimes American editor access, have emphasized the importance of low cost chip, especially in the consumer electronics market; And he pointed out, TV SoC market war was cruel, because: "TV technology evolution speed is very fast." After that a few months, mediatek inc announced the deal for the morning star.
Intel, mediatek inc., samsung ASML joint investment
ASML is the need to recapitalise the recent science and technology creative industry has a, the lithography equipment industry first suggested that several chip leading manufacturers, yet he is the only so a equipment industry partners can develop including super ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and eighteen inches for wafer technology, in addition also told clients to pay more in the future, but at the same time also can obtain investment reward.
So in July, Intel agreed to pay $3 billion for the acquisition of a 15% stake in ASML and additional investment $1 billion for a common development, In August, Taiwan wafer and Harbin industrial university factory TSMC (TSMC) with the acquisition of a 5% stake in ASML have made investment in joint research and development, the total amount of about us $1 billion; South Korea's Samsung Electronics (Samsung Electronics) is the acquisition of a 3% stake ASML, with a total value of about 630 million dollars. )
ASML acquisition lithography source Cymer supplier
In ASML was able to persuade the Intel, TSMC and samsung paid investment before long, the lithography equipment industry hit $2.6 billion, the acquisition of long-term lithography source technology supply partners Cymer; The deal means that the pile ASML EUV lithography technology production, provide effect can be strong, stable source. Semiconductor industry thinks, EUV will support 10 nanometers and the semiconductor process node chip production; And Cymer ASML purchase a case is expected to complete the first half of 2013.
Cypress acquisition FRAM Ramtron supplier
Cypress is completed in November for $109.8 million purchase price Ramtron, the latter FRAM technology let Cypress envy already for a long time, can be used as a separate memory use, also can be used for embedded non-volatile memory; It is understood that the Ramtron refused several previous bid.
Cypress President and CEO T.J. Rodgers according to the deal said: "the Ramtron FRAM technology and the Cypress nvSRAM business, rich R&D resources, has always been a strong manufacturing capacity, global sales agency, and the distribution of the pipeline depth expansion ability with each other, will be in non-volatile memory business areas to create an important new entity.
Rambus acquisition Unity Semiconductor
Had memory interface to connect to the technology developers and authorization of the industry Rambus, and gradually transition to a large variety of IP license operators, the company in February announced $35 million acquisition of also in the United States of California Unity Semiconductor; The latter was established in 2002, is to develop with metal oxide based intersection (cross - point), double end (two - terminal) non-volatile memory units, product name is CMOx. In 2011, the United States of light (Micron) had run out of cash out investment Unity Semiconductor.
Metal oxide or other kinds of resistance type memory, because have reached more than NAND flash memory higher capacity density, faster speed, lower manufacturing costs and higher reliability of the potential, many memory industry including samsung, Hynix (Hynix) and er will reach (Elpida) are both in the research and development related technologies; For Unity acquisition will make America's non-volatile memory technology development further, also responsible for the Rambus bring considerable patent income.
Micron acquisition Elpida
Beautiful light in June complete $2.5 billion acquisition of Japan's trade will reach, the latter in earlier filed for bankruptcy protection; The deal in the amount of $750 million, will pay is up to a part of the debt, the rest of the $1.75 billion is 2019 years ago in installment payment to the creditor. The deal has been in November from Tokyo court approval.
According to understand, meguiar's will reach to the deal and some from the competent authority of the obstacles to be overcome, and a group of er of creditors will not satisfied with meguiar's offer, thought to be underestimated, will reach; But the creditor is, of course, want to seek the adjustment of trade terms, rather than the micron away. The whole deal will be completed in the first half of 2013.
