Rigaku Enters Strategic Alliance with Onto Innovation through 27 % Equity Investment

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rigaku Holdings Corporation (headquarters: Akishima, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jun Kawakami; “Rigaku”), a global leader in X-ray analytical technologies, today announced that it has entered into a strategic capital and business alliance with Onto Innovation Inc. (headquarters: Massachusetts, USA; CEO: Michael P. Plisinski; “Onto Innovation”).

“As semiconductor devices become more complex, particularly with the increasing importance of three-dimensional structures, Rigaku has been seeking to enhance its analytical capabilities by incorporating advanced model-based and AI-driven algorithms in optical metrology,” said Jun Kawakami, President and CEO, Rigaku Holdings Corporation. “Onto Innovation not only brings strong expertise in optical technologies and software, but also capabilities in physical modeling for X-ray analysis, making it an ideal partner for us.”

This alliance directly supports Rigaku’s core growth strategy in semiconductor process control. By combining Rigaku’s X-ray technologies with Onto Innovation’s complementary optical metrology and advanced analytics software, including AI-driven solutions, the companies aim to deliver next-generation hybrid metrology solutions for increasingly complex semiconductor devices.

“The pace of change in semiconductor production is accelerating as the industry combines more complex and exotic materials with new 3D transistor structures, and advanced packaging to implement 3D and 2.5D chiplet architectures. ” said Michael P. Plisinski, CEO, Onto Innovation Inc. “These changes necessitate new and innovative ways to measure, characterize, and ultimately control theses new production technologies. We are pleased to be able to expand our partnership with Rigaku and together deliver the solutions our customers need to maintain their pace of innovation.”

The two companies have already been collaborating on hybrid metrology solutions, integrating Rigaku’s CD-SAXS with Onto Innovation’s analytics software. The new agreement will further accelerate and expand this joint development.

About Onto Innovation: Onto Innovation is a leader in process control, combining global scale with an expanded portfolio of leading-edge technologies that includes un-patterned wafer quality, 3D metrology spanning chip features from nanometer scale transistors to large die interconnects, macro defect inspection of wafers and packages, metal interconnect composition, factory analytics, and lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Onto Innovation supports customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. For more information, visit https://ontoinnovation.com/

Strategic Highlights

• Aligned with core growth strategy: Strengthens Rigaku’s offering in semiconductor process control, a key driver of future growth
• Highly complementary technologies: Rigaku’s X-ray solutions and Onto Innovation’s complementary optical and software capabilities present strong synergies benefitting customers with deeper process insights
• Positioned for evolving industry structure: Responding to increasingly sophisticated customer requirements and growing complexity in semiconductor manufacturing
• Strengthening competitiveness: Transaction enables Rigaku to be even more competitive in semiconductor process control segment

Key Initiatives

• Establishing hybrid metrology for Front End Of Line: Enhancing measurement capabilities for advanced logic and memory devices through the combination of X-ray and optical technologies
• Expansion into advanced packaging: Accelerating entry into inspection and metrology applications in advanced packaging
• New market creation: Targeting at least $300 million in incremental market opportunity for Rigaku’s products by 2030
• Integration of software and AI: Supporting the development of integrated solutions spanning measurement, analysis, process optimization, and yield management
• Global customer reach: Utilizing Onto Innovation’s global customer base to expand Rigaku’s market presence

Equity Investment

Onto Innovation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 61,123,436 shares (27.0% of total shares outstanding as of March 31, 2026, excluding treasury shares) of Rigaku from Atom Investment, L.P., establishing a long-term strategic alliance between the two companies.

Governance

Rigaku will maintain its management independence as a publicly listed company. The agreement also includes provisions to ensure a stable, long-term alliance, including certain restrictions on share transfers and additional acquisitions.
For more details, please refer to the timely disclosure released today, available on Rigaku’s website and the Tokyo Stock Exchange website.

About the Rigaku Group

Since its establishment in 1951, the engineering professionals of the Rigaku group have been dedicated to benefiting society with leading-edge technologies, notably including its core fields of X-ray and thermal analysis. With a market presence in 136 countries and regions and some 2,000 employees from 9 global operations, Rigaku is a solution partner in industry and research analysis institutes. Our overseas sales ratio has reached approximately 70% while sustaining an exceptionally high market share in Japan. Together with our customers, we continue to develop and grow. As applications expand from semiconductors, electronic materials, batteries, environment, resources, energy, life science to other high-tech fields, Rigaku realizes innovations “To Improve Our World by Powering New Perspectives.”
For details, please visit: rigaku-holdings.com/english

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