Semiconductor wire bonding assembly equipment supplier Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. has inked an agreement to acquire Alphasem, a major supplier of die bonder equipment, from Dover Technologies International, Inc., a subsidiary of Dover Corporation. The purchase price is $30 million, subject to a working capital adjustment. The acquisition is expected to close early next month, subject to customary closing conditions.

K&S Equipment Segment Vice President Christian Rheault said, “The acquisition of Alphasem is a natural extension of K&S’s core equipment business into die bonding equipment. The die bonding process precedes the wire bonding step in semiconductor chip manufacturing, and normally utilizes adjacent floor space and a common engineering team. This supplier consolidation will enhance our ability to provide solutions to our customers across a greater span of the semiconductor assembly process.”

He added, “According to VLSI Research, the die bonder market was $520 million in calendar year 2005. The Alphasem team has good market presence, provides strong engineering and process expertise, and has demonstrated a long standing commitment to the die bonder market. The combined Alphasem/K&S organization will allow us to better serve our customers’ needs while further expanding our overall semiconductor assembly equipment market presence.”

Furthermore, Rheault added, “Wire bonders and die bonders share many common functions, software features, sub-assemblies, and components. We believe joining the engineering and manufacturing expertise of Alphasem and K&S will yield superior equipment platforms.”