ON Semiconductor recently completed its acquisition of the CMOS Image Sensor Business Unit (ISBU) from Cypress Semiconductor. The all-cash transaction totaled approximately US$31.4 million, subject to adjustment under the purchase agreement.
Cypress’ ISBU includes a portfolio of custom and standard CMOS image sensors used in multi-megapixel machine vision, linear and two-dimensional (2D) bar-code imaging, medical X-ray imaging, biometrics, digital photography and cinematography, and aerospace applications. Among the products involved in the deal are the VITA, LUPA, STAR, and IBIS families.
The ISBU is expected to become an integrated part of ON Semiconductor’s Digital, Military/Aerospace and Image Sensor (DMI) division, under the direction of Vince Hopkin, vice president of DMI.
With this acquisition, ON Semiconductor acquires approximately 100 patents and patent applications related exclusively to the business. It also receives appropriate intellectual-property licenses from Cypress in order to continue and grow the business. As part of the transaction, approximately 70 ISBU employees join ON’s organization. Most of these employees are located in Mechelen, Belgium.