News

23 September 2008

 

Riber buys OIPT’s MBE business

Oxford Instruments plc says that the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) business of Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology Ltd (OIPT) of Yatton, UK has been sold to MBE equipment and component maker Riber SA of Bezons, France for €450,000 plus a cash earn-out of up to €400,000 payable over three years against spares sales. Riber manufactures MBE equipment as well as effusion cells and RF sources.

Apart from MBE, OIPT provides process tools and processes based on plasma-enhanced deposition and etch, ion-beam deposition and etch, and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The firm says that it has an aggressive product development plan to enhance its existing product lines and expand into new markets, as well as a growing portfolio of new products in development.

In April OIPT acquired Technologies and Devices International Inc (TDI) of Maryland, MD, USA, which manufactures nitride materials using patented hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) systems (which OIPT aims to produce). It adds that in the last 12 months it has seen significant growth in a number of markets, and the transfer of the MBE business will allow it to focus more sharply on these areas (consistent with the firm's strategy to double the size of the business and increase return on sales by ten percentage points). OIPT says it is confident that Riber will continue to offer the level of support required by its MBE customers. The transfer of the MBE business will take place in advance of OIPT's relocation to a new facility.

Riber says that, in line with its strategy to develop sales of service and accessories for MBE equipment, the acquisition will reinforce its share of the MBE market in Europe, North America and Asia. The firm will hence be able to service about 75% of the worldwide installed base, with its number of MBE systems increasing from about 500 to 800. In recent years, the average turnover of the OIPT MBE business was above €1.2m. This will strengthen Riber's after-sale business, which has increased by about 35% in 2008 versus 2007 as a result of internal growth and the recent merger with Addon, which specializes in MBE reactor components.

See related items:

Riber confident of €18m sales forecast

Oxford Instruments acquires TDI

OIPT’s record orders keep it on target to double business by 2010

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