en.Wedoany.com Reported - Applied Materials has signed an agreement to acquire the NEXX business unit from global semiconductor packaging equipment provider ASMPT. This unit specializes in panel-level plating equipment, a critical link in the advanced packaging process. As no separate regulatory approval is required, the acquisition is expected to be completed within a few months.

Prabhu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials, stated: "The addition of NEXX to Applied Materials will further strengthen the company's advantages in the panel processing field." He looks forward to opening a new chapter in advanced packaging technology through customer base integration. This acquisition complements Applied Materials' equipment portfolio, including wafer-level sputtering and panel-level plating. Previously, Applied Materials acquired a 9% stake in Dutch company BESI in April last year and collaborated to launch hybrid bonding equipment; simultaneously, the company is also developing glass substrate process equipment and has already supplied lithography equipment to major manufacturers.

These moves indicate that Applied Materials views advanced packaging as a growth priority. As the difficulty of chip miniaturization increases, the industry is turning to packaging technology to enhance performance. Panel-level packaging and glass substrates are identified by a TechInsights report as mainstream trends for 2026, with the report noting that the industry needs to shift towards new materials and form factors, making 2026 a critical transition year. Applied Materials joined the U.S.-Japan advanced packaging consortium Joint3 last September to accelerate the development of panel-level packaging technology.

With the acquisition of NEXX, Applied Materials has completed the core link of panel-level plating equipment, transitioning from a traditional front-end equipment supplier to a one-stop packaging solution provider. Against the backdrop of slowing Moore's Law, equipment giants are building platform capabilities through mergers and acquisitions, a change that may reshape the global competitive landscape of the advanced packaging equipment market.

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