Just days after being found guilty of infringing on several of Apple’s patents, Samsung is investing $974 million into ASML’s Customer Co-Investment Program for Innovation, according to Business Wire. This is close to the $1 billion Samsung is already expected to pay in damages to Apple.
For those that don’t know, ASML is “one of the world’s leading providers of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry.” ASML manufactures complex machines that are critical to the production of integrated circuits or chips. The machines this company makes can help speed up the production of more powerful and smaller semiconductors, which is an essential component of smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
Samsung will take a 3 percent equity stake in ASML, joining others like Intel, which took a 10 percent stake in ASML in July for $2.1 billion.
Although the deal hasn’t been signed yet, ASML has announced that Samsung will put $345 million into ASML’s research and development program over the next five years, which completes the company’s target for R&D funding of EUR 1.38 billion.
On top of that, Samsung will invest $629 million for a 3 percent equity stake in ASML. In total, Samsung, Intel, and TSMC have a 23 percent minority equity stake in ASML. The shareholders’ investments will be returned to them through a synthetic buy-back.
Under this Co-Investment Program, ASML will be able to accelerate the development of key technologies, which will benefit the entire industry. It will “enable smarter, more powerful, more energy-efficient and cheaper electronic devices for consumers.”
Source: Business Wire via TechCrunch
