Onto Innovation Inc. has announced a strategic collaboration with Rigaku Holdings Corporation aimed at developing next-generation process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing, as chip design complexity and material innovation continue to evolve.
The partnership focuses on integrating Onto Innovation’s AI-driven analysis software, Ai Diffract, with Rigaku’s critical dimension small angle X-ray scattering (CD-SAXS) platforms. The combined solution is designed to enhance precision and insight in semiconductor process control, particularly as the industry moves toward advanced logic nodes and increasingly complex packaging architectures.
Industry trends such as shrinking process nodes, including the transition toward the 1-nanometer range, and the adoption of heterogeneous integration techniques are driving demand for more sophisticated metrology tools. While optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology has been a cornerstone of process control, the growing use of novel and complex materials has created opportunities for X-ray-based techniques to provide deeper structural insights.
According to the companies, the joint solution enables customers to correlate data across platforms, combining the speed and spatial resolution of optical metrology with the depth and precision of X-ray analysis. This approach is expected to improve visibility into complex semiconductor structures, particularly in advanced memory and logic devices.
The offering has already been selected by two customers, signaling early market traction. External industry estimates suggest that the addressable market for such advanced process control solutions could exceed $1 billion over the next five years.
Mike Plisinski, CEO of Onto Innovation, said demand for the company’s Atlas® OCD technology continues to grow as semiconductor manufacturing pushes into more advanced nodes. He noted that integrating X-ray capabilities adds another layer of analytical depth, enabling customers to better understand intricate device structures.
Rigaku CEO Jun Kawakami highlighted the company’s long-standing expertise in X-ray technologies, which span industrial and scientific applications. He stated that the collaboration allows both companies to leverage their respective strengths to deliver enhanced solutions for semiconductor customers.
In addition to the technical partnership, Onto Innovation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 27% stake in Rigaku for approximately $710 million from an affiliate of The Carlyle Group. The investment is expected to deepen strategic alignment between the two companies and accelerate joint development efforts.
As part of the transaction, Onto Innovation will gain the right to nominate one director to Rigaku’s board. The company indicated that it will account for the investment under the fair value option method and does not plan to consolidate Rigaku’s financial results. The investment is expected to be accretive by the end of 2026.
The deal is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026.
Advisory support for the transaction includes Greenhill, a Mizuho affiliate, and Goldman Sachs for Onto Innovation, while Morgan Stanley is advising Carlyle. Legal counsel is being provided by multiple firms across jurisdictions.
The collaboration reflects a broader shift within the semiconductor industry toward hybrid metrology approaches that combine multiple technologies to address increasing design complexity. As manufacturers seek to improve yield and performance at advanced nodes, integrated solutions that merge optical and X-ray capabilities are expected to play a growing role.
