Merck KGaA Launches Newly Integrated Performance Materials Organization

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced an important milestone in its Bright Future transformation program for its Performance Materials business.

Following the successful completion of the acquisitions of Versum Materials and Intermolecular, Semiconductor Solutions, consisting of Semiconductor Materials and Delivery Systems & Services (DS&S) launched its new, fully customer-centric organization on June 1, 2020.

“Through the integration of Versum Materials and Intermolecular, we have set the course for future growth. Our product and service portfolio is designed to enable technological progress in the face of ever-increasing amounts of data. Together, we strive to address some of the most pressing challenges of the time,” said Kai Beckmann, member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA and CEO Performance Materials.

The company’s financial performance in the first quarter validates its strategy. Despite the challenging current situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Semiconductor Solutions was able to deliver strong growth.

Merck KGaA continues to expect growth with mid-single digit growth rates in the semiconductor materials market. Strong growth trends, such as 5G, Big Data, and new applications such as autonomous driving and the Internet of Things (IoT) will drive this development.

To participate in the growth of data-driven electronics, Merck KGaA has repositioned its overall Performance Materials business towards the electronic materials market. With the combined capabilities of Versum and Intermolecular, the company has strengthened its value proposition with integrated solutions across multiple wafer process steps and dimensions.

The Semiconductor Solutions business of Merck KGaA is a leader in spin-on dielectric materials, organosilanes, organometallics, thick-film resists, slurries, cleans, gases, as well as delivery equipment and services for the electronic industry.

On Oct. 7, 2019, Merck KGaA announced the completion of its €5.8 billion acquisition of Versum Materials, Inc., an Arizona-based company and leading materials supplier to the semiconductor industry. The company reported annual sales of approximately €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in fiscal 2018, had approximately 2,300 employees, and operated 15 manufacturing and seven research and development facilities throughout Asia and North America.

On Sept. 20, 2019, Merck KGaA announced the completion of its acquisition of Intermolecular, Inc., a California-based company for advanced materials innovation. The US$62 million acquisition was made to drive and accelerate future innovations in the electronic materials industry.