United States Ball semiconductor and the establishment of a joint venture with Japan's scientific research

America Ball semiconductor, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers in Japan to set up a joint research, maskless lithography machine development, production and sales of the joint venture company. The company name is INDEX technology, the two sides invested 120 million yen, in addition to the Japanese semiconductor grinding cutting equipment manufacturers DISCO also plans to invest 30 million yen. President Okamoto Hikarumi will be the head of the great Japan research.

Ball semiconductor development of the maskless lithography machine has been to the manufacturers of materials, display manufacturers, universities and packaging vendors, etc.. INDEX technology will continue to operate the business and will start production and sales in the third quarter of 2006. Standard equipment prices, it is estimated that the semiconductor manufacturers for the 100 million ~ 150 million yen, for MEMS for the 20 million ~ 30 million yen. The goal is to achieve sales of approximately 400 million yen in the year of 2007.

The development and production of maskless lithography machine after the transfer to the new company after the Ball semiconductor "will return to the origin, continue to engage in the original ball product business" (Japan branch president Yoshida Masako). Specifically, the development of spherical solar cells and sensors, the ultimate goal is to be used in semiconductor products.