TABY, Sweden, June 22 -- Micronic Laser Systems AB and ASML Holding NV announced that they have reached an agreement in principle to enter into a strategic alliance to enhance their positions as suppliers of advanced lithography equipment to the display and semiconductor industry.
    "For Micronic it is of strategic importance to partner with ASML, a company that has a strong position in semiconductor lithography systems," said Sven Lofquist, CEO of Micronic. "We intend to use the new capital to aggressively accelerate our penetration of the semiconductor photomask equipment market. Also we will launch an exploratory development program in direct write applications, for which we see an opportunity in the semiconductor industry's demand for shorter time-to-market of new designs as well as small volume production."