Systems delivered for advanced V-NAND and DRAM metrology, with expanding engagement across top-tier logic and memory customers
Onto Innovation Inc. announced a strategic collaboration with X-ray technology leader Rigaku Holdings Corporation to advance next-generation process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing. Rigaku, a leading manufacturer of X-ray related technologies, is engaged with customers across a wide range of markets, including a growing presence in process control for semiconductor fabrication.
The evolving complexity of advanced logic and memory design, as well as the advanced packaging architectures used for tighter integration is creating an increase in reliance on novel and exotic materials. While this drives greater demand for process control solutions such as optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology it’s also creating emerging opportunities for the capabilities inherent in X‑ray technology.
Onto Innovation is actively collaborating with Rigaku to develop X‑ray solutions, integrating Onto Innovation’s leading Ai Diffract™ analysis software with Rigaku’s critical dimension small‑angle X‑ray scattering (CD‑SAXS) platforms. This new offering has already been selected by two key customers, addresses a market that external analysts estimate to be in excess of $1 billion within the next five years, and creates incremental opportunities for Onto Innovation’s Ai Diffract and OCD solutions to complement the X-ray technology.1
“Demand for Onto Innovation’s Atlas® OCD technology continues to increase as the adoption of optical metrology moves into the 1nm process technology node. Working closely with our customers, we see additional value in the insights X-ray technology can provide,” said Mike Plisinski, chief executive officer of Onto Innovation. “Onto Innovation and Rigaku are currently demonstrating compelling results to customers, giving them the ability to aggregate and correlate data across platforms pairing the speed and location information of OCD with the precision of X-ray, particularly for deeper structures.”
Also Read: Lumonus and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Forge Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize Radiation Therapy Planning
“Rigaku has developed a broad set of powerful X-ray solutions and components over its 75-year history. Our systems are used in a variety of applications in industrial and scientific applications including a growing opportunity in semiconductors,” says Jun Kawakami, chief executive officer of Rigaku. “Our collaboration with Onto Innovation has been positive, benefiting customers by combining the strengths of both Rigaku and Onto Innovation in service to the customer.”
Deepening the ongoing collaboration, Onto Innovation has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement with Atom Investment, L.P., an affiliate of The Carlyle Group, to acquire 27% of the outstanding common stock of Rigaku for approximately $710 million. In connection with the transaction, Onto Innovation will receive the right to nominate one director to Rigaku’s board. The Company expects to account for the minority investment under the fair value option method and will not consolidate financial results. The Company expects that the investment will be accretive as of December 31, 2026.
Mr. Plisinski added, “Building on the companies’ successful collaboration and significant technical milestones already achieved, our investment in Rigaku is intended to deepen strategic alignment, accelerate joint intellectual property development, and support a coordinated go‑to‑market strategy addressing next‑generation opportunities in advanced logic and memory applications.”
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of customary regulatory approvals.
Greenhill, a Mizuho affiliate, is serving as financial advisor, Goldman Sachs is also advising and providing committed financing, subject to customary conditions, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Nishimura & Asahi are acting as legal advisors to Onto Innovation in connection with the transaction. The Carlyle Group is advised by Morgan Stanley, as financial advisor, and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu and Latham & Watkins, as legal advisors. Rigaku’s legal advisor is Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.
Source: Businesswire
