Japan's Tokyo Electron Ltd said it will buy chip-equipment maker FSI International Inc for $252.5 million in cash, to add heft to its technology used to make smaller but faster chips used in cellphones and tablets.
Tokyo Electron said FSI's cleaning and surface preparation equipment used in making microchips will help the company improve its market position in the crucial category of 28 nanometer chips and below.
These chips feature transistors that measure 28 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, and are critical for the small chips used in cellphones and tablets.
Smartphones and tablets are the only bright spots for the semiconductor industry, which is struggling with dwindling PC sales and slowing demand.
Top chip gear maker Applied Materials Inc, which provides manufacturing equipment for 28 nanometer chips, in July slashed its full-year targets but said demand for these chips would pick up soon.
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