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Photronics and Micron formed MP Mask Technology Center, LLC in 2006 to develop and produce advanced photomasks for semiconductor manufacturing. Micron contributed its Boise technology center and held a slight majority stake; Photronics committed capital and operated the planned volume-production facility. The venture ended in 2016, when Photronics sold its interest to Micron for $93.1 million.
What was the Photronics–Micron photomask joint venture?
MP Mask Technology Center, LLC was a joint venture announced by Photronics and Micron on May 8, 2006. Its purpose was to develop and make photomasks—also called reticles—for leading-edge and next-generation semiconductor production. The companies’ SEC filing records that the transaction closed on May 5, 2006. Photronics’ announcement and its SEC Form 8-K describe the formation and terms.
Ownership and contributions
| Partner | Ownership | Contribution or role |
|---|---|---|
| Micron | 50.01% | Contributed its existing photomask technology center at Micron’s Boise, Idaho headquarters and licensed technology to the venture. |
| Photronics | 49.99% | Committed $135 million over three years and was to operate the planned Boise facility for volume production. |
The ownership percentages and three-year investment commitment were reported by the companies in 2006. The SEC filing specifies Photronics’ payment structure: $120 million at closing, followed by two $7.5 million anniversary payments. The filing also records technology-license and supply agreements between the parties.
Why did the companies build MP Mask?
A photomask is a precision pattern plate used to transfer circuit designs onto semiconductor wafers. As chip features shrink and designs become denser, producing masks with the required precision and reliable manufacturing yield becomes more demanding. The companies aimed to combine Micron’s device and mask technology experience with Photronics’ mask-development and fabrication expertise.
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The 2005 joint-development announcement described work on reticle technology for integrated-circuit manufacturing at and below the 45-nanometer logic node. It covered equipment technology, materials, process modules, mask integration, and manufacturability and yield—not simply the construction of a production site. Photronics’ 2005 announcement set out that technical scope.
In the 2006 announcement, Micron’s then chief operating officer Mark Durcan said the combined expertise was intended to help Micron meet reticle demand for increasingly high-density, low-power semiconductor devices. Photronics’ then CEO Michael Luttati described the venture as a way for Photronics to gain and implement a competitive advantage through a technology partnership.
What was planned for the Boise facility?
The partners intended to build an independent, state-of-the-art NanoFab in Boise, operated by Photronics for volume production of advanced photomasks. The existing Micron technology center was a contribution to the venture; the planned NanoFab was the step toward dedicated production capacity. Photronics’ corporate timeline records the joint venture in 2006 and Boise’s first production-reticle shipment in 2008. Photronics’ history timeline lists that shipment milestone.
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MP Mask continued as a jointly owned venture through its ten-year term. In March 2015, Photronics announced that the joint venture would not be renewed after its tenth anniversary on May 5, 2016. The companies arranged strategic supply and technology-license agreements, under which Photronics would receive outsourced photomask supply volume from Micron. Photronics’ 2015 announcement describes the planned transition.
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In May 2016, Photronics sold its investment in MP Mask to Micron for $93.1 million and reported a $0.1 million gain. Those figures are reported in Photronics’ later SEC filing. Photronics’ 2016 Form 10-Q records the sale.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Photronics and Micron continue working together?
They did have a continuing commercial relationship after the joint venture ended: the 2015 transition announcement established strategic supply and technology-license agreements, including outsourced photomask supply volume from Micron to Photronics. Ending MP Mask therefore ended the shared ownership arrangement, not every business connection between the companies. The cited announcement establishes those agreements at the time of the transition; it does not establish their present-day status.
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