Brooks Automation Acquires Zygo Corporation's Automation Systems Group
Reticle automation solutions significantly enhance Brooks Automation's factory automation offerings
CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 14, 2001-- Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKS - news), a leading supplier of tool and factory hardware and software automation solutions for the global semiconductor industry, today announced that it has completed the purchase of the Automation Systems Group of Zygo Corporation (NASDAQ: ZIGO - news). Zygo's Automation Systems Group is a leading manufacturer of reticle automation systems including reticle sorters, reticle macro inspection systems and reticle handling solutions for the semiconductor industry. The purchase method of accounting will be used to account for the cash transaction of approximately $11 million.
``The Zygo Automation Systems acquisition is an important part of Brooks Automation's strategy of supplying an integrated suite of lithography automation systems,'' said Robert J. Therrien, president and chief executive officer of Brooks Automation. ``The cost of advanced photomask sets can now exceed $500,000, causing semiconductor manufacturers to turn increasingly towards automated reticle handling systems such as Zygo's ZARIS product to eliminate problems that may be caused by manual operations. This acquisition will enable Brooks to provide a more complete solution for lithography automation, thus adding more value to our partnership with our customers.''
``The Automation Systems Group's reticle handling products are a strong addition to Brooks Automation's growing portfolio of solutions for the lithography automation market. While this Group has had an excellent record of success as a part of the Zygo organization, the divestiture of the Group will enable Zygo to focus on the company's core areas of high precision optics, optical, and fiber optic assemblies and high performance metrology instruments,'' said J. Bruce Robinson, president and chief executive officer of Zygo Corporation.
Zygo will retain their core automation business in Delray Beach, Florida for metrology integrated solutions and photonic and electronic module assembly.
About Zygo
Zygo Corporation (NASDAQ: ZIGO - news), headquartered in Middlefield, Connecticut, is a worldwide developer and supplier of high precision optics, optical, and fiber optic assemblies, high performance metrology instruments, and automation for the telecommunications, semiconductor, and industrial markets.
About Brooks Automation, Inc.
Brooks Automation, Inc. is the leading global supplier of OEM tool automation and factory management software for the semiconductor, data storage and flat panel display manufacturing industries. As an established market leader in hardware and software automation, Brooks continues to pioneer ``Best-in-Class'' technologies that outperform their competitors, from vacuum and atmospheric robots, cluster tool platforms and modules, ultra-clean mini-environments for isolating processing equipment and wafers, to factory and tool automation software and integration services. Both OEM and fab customers leverage Brooks Automation's products and environments. The Company has ISO 9001 certification, is headquartered in Chelmsford, MA and has direct operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China. Brooks' web-site is www.brooks.com.
``Safe Harbor'' Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements related to future financial results. The forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to the benefits to Brooks Automation of purchasing the Automation Systems Group of Zygo Corporation, the continued success of the Automation Systems Group of Zygo Corporation in the marketplace, the ease of integrating the Automation Systems Group of Zygo Corporation into the Brooks business unit structure, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the Company's dependence on relatively few customers for a significant portion of its revenues, the Company's reliance on sales to OEM customers and the lengthy sales cycles of those customers, the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis, the ability to integrate recent acquisitions into the Company, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The Company also operates in an industry sector where securities' values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the Company's control. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
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Contact:
Brooks Automation, Inc.
Mark Chung, Director of Investor Relations
(978) 262-2459
mark.chung@brooks.com |
