Work on Tokyo Electron Technology Center Tsukuba, a research and development center which Tokyo Electron had had under construction since August of last year, was completed on March 14. The center is schedule to open officially on April 1. About 110 people will be employed by the center.

At Tokyo Electron Technology Center Tsukuba development and evaluation of processes used in the facilities for manufacturing solar cells will be conducted. In addition, research and development regarding new basic technology and as well as core technology concerning the facilities used in the fabrication of semiconductors will also be undertaken. Technology for new fields will also be developed, based on the technology the company has cultivated regarding fabrication devices.

Tokyo Electron has reached the agreement with the NEXX Systems for acquiring them. NEXX is headquartered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is engaged in the research and development of wafer-level packaging facilities.

In accordance with the rapid spreading in use of smartphones and tablets, requirements are on the rise for advanced packaging technology to bring about high performance devices which are thinner and smaller, with lower power consumption. The market for wafer-level packaging technology is expected to grow.

NEXX sales for the period ended December, 2011 came to 76.6 dollar million. The company employs a workforce totaling 139.