VELDHOVEN, The Netherlands and
SAN DIEGO, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ASML Holding NV
(ASML) and Cymer, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYMI) today announce that the Japan
Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has cleared the previously announced
merger between Cymer and affiliates of ASML.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090406/LA94420LOGO)
Clearance of the merger has previously been granted by the U.S.
Department of Justice, the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in
the United States (CFIUS), as well
as the Taiwanese, German and Israeli antitrust authorities.
Furthermore, Cymer stockholders have approved the merger
agreement.
As already indicated in the deal announcement of 17 October 2012, ASML will manage Cymer as an
independent business unit where it concerns commercial hardware
sales and services activities, and Cymer will continue to supply
sources to and engage in R&D activities with all lithography
tool manufacturers on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory
commercial terms. Furthermore, ASML reiterates it will continue to
let its scanner customers choose their preferred light source, and
its scanners will continue to interface with light sources from all
manufacturers.
Completion of the merger now remains subject to closing
conditions and receipt of approval under competition laws in
South Korea. Cymer and ASML
continue to expect the transaction to close in the first half of
2013.
About ASML
ASML is one of the world's leading
providers of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry,
manufacturing complex machines that are critical to the production
of integrated circuits or chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven,
the Netherlands, ASML is traded on
Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under the symbol ASML. ASML has 8,625
employees on payroll (expressed in full time equivalents), serving
chip manufacturers in more than 55 locations in 16 countries. More
information about our company, our products and technology, and
career opportunities is available on our website: www.asml.com
About Cymer
Cymer is an industry leader in developing
lithography light sources, used by chipmakers worldwide to pattern
advanced semiconductor chips. Cymer's light sources have been
widely adopted by the world's top chipmakers and its installed base
comprises approximately 3,900 systems. Continuing its legacy of
leadership, Cymer is currently pioneering the industry's transition
to EUV lithography, the next viable step on the technology roadmap
for the creation of smaller, faster chips. The company is
headquartered in San Diego, CA,
has more than 1,200 employees on payroll (expressed in full time
equivalents) and supports its customers from numerous offices
around the globe. Cymer maintains a Web site to which it regularly
posts press releases, SEC filings, and additional information about
Cymer. Interested persons can also subscribe to automated e-mail
alerts or RSS feeds. Please visit www.cymer.com.
Forward Looking Statements
"Safe Harbor" Statement
under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: the
matters discussed in this document may include forward-looking
statements, including statements made about our outlook,
realization of systems backlog, IC unit demand, financial results,
average selling price, gross margin and expenses, dividend policy
and intention to repurchase shares and resignations and
appointments of executive officers. These forward looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but
not limited to: economic conditions, product demand and
semiconductor equipment industry capacity, worldwide demand and
manufacturing capacity utilization for semiconductors (the
principal product of our customer base), including the impact of
general economic conditions on consumer confidence and demand for
our customers' products, competitive products and pricing, the
impact of manufacturing efficiencies and capacity constraints, the
continuing success of technology advances and the related pace of
new product development and customer acceptance of new products,
our ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property
rights, the risk of intellectual property litigation, availability
of raw materials and critical manufacturing equipment, trade
environment, changes in exchange rates, available cash,
distributable reserves for dividend payments and share repurchases,
our ability to successfully complete the Cymer transaction,
including the ability to obtain regulatory approval for the merger,
the satisfaction of other conditions to the closing of the merger
and the possibility that the length of time necessary to consummate
the merger may be longer than anticipated, and other risks
indicated in the risk factors included in ASML's Annual Report on
Form 20-F and other filings with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission.
SOURCE Cymer