Meccanica Plus

Metrology and inspection in semiconductors, Marposs acquires SolariusERT

Marposs, the Italian company specialized in measurement and process monitoring technologies, announces the acquisition of Solarius Development, a leading provider of high-tech manufacturing solutions for the consumer electronics and semiconductor industry. Both segments are of strategic importance for Marposs growth and diversification.

Established 22 years ago and with headquarters in the California Silicon Valley, Solarius has a strong presence in the USA and Asia; namely China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. Solarius also inaugurated a Technology Center in Germany in 2018, dedicated to the research and development of control systems for the production of semiconductors. It has recorded sales of more than US $12 million in 2022 with solid profitability and returns and employs around 26 people within the USA (Silicon Valley), China (Shanghai), Germany (Munich and Essen).

Solarius provides engineering, application and manufacturing expertise covering the entire lifecycle from design to installation, commissioning, training, application support, repair and maintenance of precision systems for non-contact surface inspection, measurement, analysis and visualization. Its solutions combine high-resolution sensors with automated data acquisition systems and powerful analysis software tools. Key applications include electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, smartwatches), semiconductors and energy fuel cells.

As part of the Marposs Group, Solarius will gain access to a worldwide distribution network and greater availability of resources and technologies, ensuring greater solidity and growth opportunities. Marposs Group, already a world primary company in measurement, inspection and testing solutions for the production environment, continues its M&A strategy by exceeding 30 acquisition operations. Marposs has been present in the USA since 1963 and has had an operating office in Silicon Valley for over twenty years. The Group is already a supplier for companies that produce semiconductors with grinding systems for silicon wafers and enclosures for smartphones.

With the purchase of Solarius, Marposs further expands its range of solutions for optical measurement into other phases of the production process including the ‘back-end’ phase. In particular, it offers solutions for customers operating in the consumer electronics, green energy and in the semiconductor sector, an industry that is in constant growth, due to its fundamental role in the digital technological evolution and towards e-mobility.

“This operation is perfectly in line with our Group strategy – stated Stefano Possati, President of the Marposs Group -. Thanks to its position in Silicon Valley, the level of technology and the talent of the whole team, Solarius has developed very important synergies with large companies operating in the electronic devices and information technology industry, already working at co-design and prototyping phases. We intend to support the growth of Solarius with our resources and our experience because it is a company with excellent prospects”.

“Solarius has long been at the forefront of implementing new and emerging technologies targeted at providing unique solutions to ever demanding metrology challenges – commented Peter Joshua, President of Solarius Development Inc. -. Joining the Marposs Group is the next step in the evolution of the company; the combination of engineering talent and international resources will significantly strengthen the solutions and systems we will be able to provide to our customers. We are looking forward to contributing to the growth of the Marposs Group in both existing and new strategic markets”.