Semiconductor streamlining

Hitachi High-Technologies and Renesas Technology have agreed to a transfer of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment business of wholly owned Renesas subsidiary, Renesas Eastern Japan Semiconductor, to Hitachi High-Tech Instruments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi High-Technologies.

Renesas is currently developing and manufacturing semiconductor manufacturing equipment, with Hitachi largely responsible for global sales of the products.

However, both Hitachi and Renesas have acknowledged that the integrated management of development through to manufacturing, sales and services pertaining to semiconductor manufacturing equipment is the most desirable option going forward.

This recognition applies not only to the ability to respond flexibly to the changing market, further business structure enhancements and improve management efficiency but also to efforts to accelerate the development of new products.

Hitachi aims to establish and strengthen its business base in the semiconductor back-end process equipment business, where market expansion is widely anticipated.

Specifically, the transfer will see Renesas Eastern Japan Semiconductor as the absorbed company, with Hitachi High-Tech Instruments as the surviving company.