Prices are rising across Japan, but not for the components of chipmaking gear. Tokyo Electron supplier Marumae is seeking out deals to change that.
Many Japanese makers of vacuum parts found in chip tools have yet to reap gains from an artificial intelligence boom that’s spurring billions of dollars of spending on Nvidia chips and other hardware, according to Marumae President Toshikazu Maeda. That’s because such manufacturers are fighting with dozens of other companies in Japan that specialize in creating airtight spaces inside bigger machines — a niche but essential area worth less than ¥100 billion ($680 million) in domestic sales.
The country’s chip tool components sector is long overdue for consolidation, said Maeda, who spearheaded the acquisition of peer KM Aluminum for ¥9 billion from private equity fund Japan Industrial Partners in March. Beyond that deal, talks have dried up, although there’s urgent need for scale in the sector, he said in an interview.
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