DuPont Photomasks, Inc., which sells glass plates inscribed with circuit patterns used in the production of microchips, said on 1 April that it had sold a unit to the US.subsidiary of Germany“s Schot…
DuPont Photomasks, Inc., which sells glass plates inscribed with circuit patterns used in the production of microchips, said on 1 April that it had sold a unit to the US.subsidiary of Germany“s Schott Lithotec AG for US$ 28 million in cash and up to US$ 14 million in stock. DuPont also entered into a supply agreement with Schott Lithotec now that it has sold the business, for so-called photoblanks. Photoblanks are the blank, high-precision glass plates used by all photomask makers. Mark FitzGerald, a chip equipment analyst with Banc of America Securities, said DuPont Photomasks may have chosen to sell the business because of the challenge of selling the blank plates to competitors, such as Photronics, Inc. As part of the deal, Schott will take over DuPont Photomasks“s photoblank production facility in Poughkeepsie, New York. The companies also agreed to jointly develop advanced photoblanks.