Advantest Corporation and PDF Solutions, a provider of software-based data analytics solutions to the semiconductor industry, announced that they have established a partnership that includes: a development agreement for PDF’s assistance in development of a cloud-based software solution for Advantest’s customers that is based on PDF’s Exensio software analytics platform – an Advantest Cloud powered by PDF Exensio – for both Advantest’s internal use as well as use by Advantest’s customers; a commercial agreement providing for the license of technology solutions based on Advantest’s testing platforms and PDF’s Exensio platform; a significant 5-year cloud-based, subscription by Advantest to PDF Solutions’ Exensio analytics platform; and the purchase by Advantest of 3,306,924 newly issued shares of PDF Solutions common stock for approximately $65.2 million.
By combining the PDF Solutions Exensio platform and DEX with Advantest’s advanced testing equipment, Advantest will be able to provide its customers with the ability to connect, test, measure and analyze at any point in the semiconductor value chain, helping customers increase yield and reduce testing costs.
“We will be able to offer stronger solutions to our diversified customer base and continue to add significant customer value in an evolving semiconductor value chain by entering into this partnership,” said Yoshiaki Yoshida, Advantest President and Chief Executive Officer. “The complexity of scaling production as well as decreasing test times and costs is shifting the entire industry towards analytics to achieve productivity gains. Together with PDF Solutions, we will be able to offer our customers a compelling technological solution to improve their manufacturing and economic efficiency, from design through system level test. Importantly, our partnership with PDF Solutions will enable Advantest to accelerate our Grand Design objectives, delivering important artificial intelligence-based test analytics to our customers years ahead of schedule. Both companies have many common customers globally, and we have already worked together with certain leading IDMs to validate the combination of our systems with PDF Solutions’ technology.”