Business News
Dainippon Screen acquires Silicon Light Machines (U.S.A.), developer of world-leading optical technologies
Monday 07. July 2008 - Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan; President: Masahiro Hashimoto) has announced the completion of its acquisition of Silicon Light Machines ("SLM", Headquarters: San Jose, California, U.S.A.; President & CEO: Hal Zarem), a developer of devices incorporating micro-electro-mechanical systems*1 (MEMS) technology.
SLM will carry on its business as a new member of the Screen Group.
SLM was founded in 1994 as a venture company based in Silicon Valley, the home of many of the worlds foremost semiconductor companies. The company has remained focused on developing cutting edge of technologies and has won accolades for its unique, world-leading optical MEMS such as Grating Light ValveTM*2 (GLV) technology and other innovations.
With this acquisition, Dainippon Screen aims to create new business by leveraging the combined strengths of SLMs world-class optical MEMS technology and its own core technologies including image data processing to pursue aggressive expansion in the semiconductor, flat panel display, and printed circuit board industries.
* MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems)
The generic term for minute electronic machine systemsknown as “micro-machines” in Japanmanufactured with semiconductor fabrication and related technologies. These devices are widely employed as optical elements for projectors, for the printheads of inkjet printers, and in many types of sensors.
*2 GLVTM (Grating Light ValveTM)
A display element utilizing MEMS technology and the coherency of light to control the direction and intensity of a light beam. Comprising reflective ribbons arranged in parallel on a semiconductor device board, it enables to split an exposed light beam into multiple channels.
GLVTM and Grating Light ValveTM are trademarks of Silicon Light Machines.