SAN DIEGO, April 21 -- Cymer Inc. has acquired the 25-percent interest of the minority shareholder in Cymer Southeast Asia Ltd., the company's Taiwan-based Asian subsidiary. The dollar value of the purchase was not disclosed. Cymer Southeast Asia was incorporated in July 1997, with Cymer as the majority shareholder and Hermes-Epitek Co. and its principal, Jack Tsai, as the minority shareholder.
Robert Akins, Cymer's president and CEO, stated, Our business partnership with Hermes-Epitek and Jack Tsai has been mutually beneficial, and we want to say thank you to Mr. Tsai and his company for introducing Cymer to the Taiwanese market place, and for helping us establish our business there. As of March 31, 2000, there were 168 Cymer lightsources installed in semiconductor fabs in Taiwan, versus seven when our relationship with Hermes-Epitek began. It has been a pleasure working with a business partner of the caliber of Mr. Tsai, and we wish him great success in all his future endeavors.