KLA-Tencor enters photovoltaic market with ICOS Vision Systems acquisition

February 21, 2008
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

KLA-Tencor Corporation has made a friendly acquire all shares in ICOS Vision Systems for approximately $465.8 million. ICOS’s primary business is inspection equipment for semiconductor packaging but has been successful in the more cost-conscious solar wafer inspection market at key processing steps.

In December 2007, ICOS received its largest single order to date for solar cell inspection equipment valued at €2.3 million with a Taiwanese PV cell manufacturer. ICOS stated at the time that it expected revenues within the PV market to grow rapidly in 2008 and expected revenues of between €16-20 million.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Anton De Proft, ICOS’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “I believe that combining the strengths of KLA-Tencor and ICOS would significantly increase our growth potential and provide remarkable resources for advanced technical development of our existing products and technologies. Both companies have highly complementary market positions, with no overlap in product lines.”

ICOS had revenues of €57.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007.

Read Next

January 8, 2026
ENGIE and Ampion added new solar capacity, Reactivate plans to build on landfill sites and Pivot has completed the first phase of a portfolio.
January 8, 2026
US renewables developer Adapture Renewables has secured US$233 million in tax equity from US Bank to support its 441MW Titanium solar PV project portfolio.
January 8, 2026
Curtailment of solar PV and wind has continued to increase in Chile last year and passed 6TWh, up 8% year-on-year, according to trade body, the Chilean renewable energy and energy storage association (ACERA).
January 8, 2026
Solar manufacturing major Canadian Solar is looking to raise US$200 million in convertible senior note sales to support its US manufacturing operations
January 8, 2026
Renewables developer Pacific Hydro has started commercial operations at its 293MW/220MWh solar-plus-storage project in Chile.
January 8, 2026
SunPower and the REC Group have unveiled a new 470W solar panel, dubbed 'Monolith', which is designed for use in the US residential sector.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland