Hamamatsu Completes Acquisition of NKT Photonics
Hamamatsu has completed its acquisition of NKT Photonics A/S. Beginning June 1, NKT Photonics will be a subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics, adding its fiber lasers and photonic crystal fibers to Hamamatsu’s portfolio. NKT Photonics, Hamamatsu said, will continue its operating structure.
At the deal’s close Hamamatsu paid a total of ~€247 million ($268 million), an increase of €42 million over the price expected when the acquisition was first announced in June 2022. The increase is owed to an increase in the net debt amount, Hamamatsu said in a filing.
The acquisition gained regulatory approval from Danish authorities earlier this month, following its May 2023 denial under the authority of the Danish Investment Screening Act. The company had already received the green light from authorities in Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. following its initial agreement in 2022. In July 2023, Hamamatsu refiled its application to have the transaction approved in Denmark.
The completed acquisition, Hamamatsu said, allows the combination of Hamamatsu’s detectors and cameras with NKT’s lasers and fibers to offer unique system solutions. The company identified opportunities for collaboration in markets such as quantum computing, noting overlap in customers using NKT’s Koheras lasers for trapped ion systems and Hamamatsu’s high sensitivity cameras and sensors to detect the quantum state of the qubits.
Hamamatsu identified increased demand for high precision measurement equipment covering a broad wavelength range, which presents opportunities to combine NKT’s supercontinuum SuperK lasers with Hamamatsu's optical sensors and measuring devices to address the trend toward complex three-dimensional semiconductor devices. The company also noted hyperspectral imaging as an area for collaboration, capitalizing on increased demand for NKT’s SuperK: Hamamatsu cited an opportunity to integrate it with its image sensors and cameras, leveraging the unique semiconductor technologies, the company said.
At the time of the initial acquisition in 2022, Hamamatsu said its complementary relationship with NKT’s business will support the company as it expands its laser application business. NKT, which specializes in fiber lasers, uses its photonic crystal fiber production to enable ultrashort- pulse amplification and fiber transmission. The Denmark-based company’s fiber laser portfolio supports applications in microscopy, semiconductor, quantum computing, and ophthalmology.
According to Hamamatsu, per the initial announcement, these lasers are also expected to be used in semiconductor wafer cutting and for nonthermal processing for industrial applications. Hamamatsu’s laser diode business is based on compound semiconductor manufacturing technology.
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