APRIL 1--Cognex Corp. (Natick, MA; www.cognex.com), a supplier of machine-vision systems, has acquired the wafer-identification business of Siemens Dematic AG, a subsidiary of Siemens AG. Siemens Dematic is a supplier of logistics and factory-automation equipment and a supplier of wafer-identification systems to semiconductor manufacturers in Europe. Cognex has bought, for an undisclosed amount of cash, the rights to all of Siemens' patented and unpatented wafer-identification technology, as well as the related assets of its wafer-identification business.
Semiconductor manufacturers use wafer-identification systems to read special codes that are etched by laser on semiconductor wafers as they go through various stages of the manufacturing process. These codes enable manufacturers to automatically identify and trace wafers at every processing stage and to build a database on their processing history. This traceability is critical to making sure that manufacturing processes are optimized, and that problems are discovered and corrected quickly. Wafer identification has become an increasingly important tool for semiconductor manufacturers because the larger 300-mm wafers are valuable, and, therefore, the cost of a misprocessed wafer can be substantial.
Siemens Dematic AG comprises three units focusing on electronic assembly systems, postal automation, and material handling. The company, with approximately 11,000 employees worldwide, has annual revenue of approximately $3 billion. More information on Siemens Dematic can be found at www.siemens-dematic.us. Siemens AG is headquartered in Munich, Germany, with corporate headquarters for Siemens' US businesses in New York City. For more information: www.usa.siemens.com.
