Merck Group acquires chip equipment supplier Unity-SC for €155 million

Leading technology company Merck plans to acquire Unity-SC, a supplier of metrology and testing instruments for the semiconductor industry. The transaction amount includes a payment of €155 million and further milestone payments. Unity-SC is headquartered in Montbonnot-Saint-Martin near Grenoble, France, and has approximately 160 employees, 70 of whom work in research and development.

"The acquisition of Unity-SC complements our technology-driven portfolio in the semiconductor industry. It strengthens our ability to benefit from the growth opportunities in artificial intelligence as a comprehensive solutions provider for customers developing next-generation chips," said Belén Garijo, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck.

Unity-SC's measurement technology, combined with Merck's products in the field of semiconductor materials, will help develop the next step in the innovation of computer chips required for artificial intelligence and other applications.

"We strongly believe that 3D metrology tools will further advance the semiconductor industry," said Kai Beckmann, member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO of the Electronics business. "Adding metrology to our portfolio enables us to offer more materials and more solutions to effectively address the challenges our customers face in developing faster, more powerful and more efficient chips."

"We can benefit from Merck's extensive knowledge in semiconductor material manufacturing and their deep optical expertise in light manipulation," said Dan Lee, CEO of Unity-SC. "Together with Merck, we can create high-value solutions to serve our mutual customers. We look forward to becoming an integral part of a global company with close customer relationships and a broad range of services for the semiconductor industry."

The acquisition is subject to consultation with French unions, regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. Subject to satisfaction of the relevant requirements, the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2024.