Ceradyne Inc. recently announced that its SemEquip Inc. subsidiary has licensed its technology (including applicable patents) related to its cluster ion implant hardware to Nissin Ion Equipment Co. Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan. In addition, Nissin Ion Equipment USA Inc. has purchased certain assets and assumed related SemEquip obligations, including facility leases. Nissin announced it intends to hire many former SemEquip employees to continue the development, manufacturing and marketing of the ion implant hardware.

SemEquip will continue to market its cluster ion chemistry, particularly boron cluster ions such as B18H22, to the semiconductor industry. SemEquip has been working with Nissin for over 10 years on this technology and associated semiconductor ion implant equipment.

“We are very pleased with these agreements between SemEquip and Nissin,” said David Reed, vice president and president of North American Operations for Ceradyne. “One of the key strategies of SemEquip was to have its cluster ion equipment accepted in the semiconductor industry in order to create a viable market for its patented boron chemical products, which tie in directly to Ceradyne Boron Products (Quapaw, Okla.) boron ten (B10) and boron eleven (B11) isotope manufacturing facility. We believe that this hardware license agreement with Nissin will accelerate the semiconductor industry’s acceptance and use of Ceradyne and SemEquip’s boron products.”

For more information, visit www.ceradyne.com.