Editing Applied Materials (section)

==History==
Founded in 1967 by Michael A. McNeilly and others, Applied Materials [[Initial public offering|went public]] in 1972 on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations ([[NASDAQ]]), a then-recently established stock exchange. In subsequent years, the company diversified, until James C. Morgan became CEO in 1976 and returned the company's focus to its core business of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Turner|first1=Tyya N.|title=Vault Guide to the Top Manufacturing Employers|date=14 June 2005|publisher=Vault|isbn=978-1581313246|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6puQvy0Yf8C&pg=PA30|access-date=4 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McCaffery|first1=Richard|title=TMF Interview With Applied Materials Chairman and Chief Executive James Morgan|url=http://www.fool.com/foolaudio/transcripts/1999/stocktalk991222_amat.htm|access-date=16 April 2016|work=The Motley Fool|date=17 December 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811225937/http://www.fool.com/foolaudio/transcripts/1999/stocktalk991222_amat.htm|archive-date=11 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1978, sales increased by 17%.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wheelwright|first1=Steven C.|title=Managing New Product and Process Development: Text Cases|date=2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781451602319|page=428|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=awmav051w24C&pg=PA428|access-date=4 May 2016}}</ref>

In 1984, Applied Materials became the first U.S. semiconductor equipment manufacturer to open its own technology center in [[Japan]],<ref>{{cite news|title=U.S. chip firm constructs R&D center in Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mW5f8lXoEYC&pg=PA119|access-date=16 April 2016|work=ComputerWorld|date=15 October 1984}}</ref> and the first semiconductor equipment company to operate a service center in [[China]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Applied Materials expands presence in China|url=http://electroiq.com/blog/2001/10/applied-materials-expands-presence-in-china/|access-date=16 April 2016|work=Solid State Technology|date=18 October 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804160904/http://electroiq.com/blog/2001/10/applied-materials-expands-presence-in-china/|archive-date=4 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1987, Applied introduced a [[chemical vapor deposition]] (CVD) machine called the Precision 5000, which differed from existing machines by incorporating diverse processes into a single machine that had multiple process chambers.<ref name="Silicon Dragon">{{cite book|last1=Tsai|first1=Terence|last2=Cheng|first2=Borshiuan|title=The Silicon Dragon: High-tech Industry in Taiwan|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|isbn=1840642408|page=116|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xBNEaMFMPsMC&pg=PA116|access-date=16 April 2016}}</ref>

In 1992, the corporation settled a lawsuit with three former employees for an estimated $600,000. The suit complained that the employees were driven out of the company after complaining about the courses [[Applied Scholastics]] had been hired to teach there.<ref name=Scientologizing>{{Cite news
  | title = Scientologizing
  | newspaper = [[Forbes]]
  | page = 25
  | date = September 14, 1992
  }}</ref>

In 1993, the Applied Materials' Precision 5000 was inducted into the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian Institution's]] permanent collection of [[Information Age]] technology.<ref name="Silicon Dragon"/>

In November 1996, Applied Materials acquired two [[Israel]]i companies for an aggregate amount of $285 million: Opal Technologies and Orbot Instruments for $175 million and $110 million in cash, respectively. Orbot produces systems for inspecting patterned silicon wafers for yield enhancement during the semiconductor manufacturing process, as well as systems for inspecting masks used during the patterning process. Opal develops and manufactures high-speed [[metrology]] systems used by semiconductor manufacturers to verify critical dimensions during the production of integrated circuits.<ref>{{cite news|title=Applied Materials Buys Orbot Instruments, Opal for $285 Mln; Opal chairman Meny Erad: "This is a great day for Israeli high-tech." |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=352491 |newspaper=Globes |date=26 November 1996 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116102738/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=352491 |archive-date=16 January 2013 }}</ref>

In 2000, [[Etec Systems, Inc.]] was purchased.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/01/12/deals/appliedetec/|title=Applied Materials buys Etec - Jan. 12, 2000|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=2018-04-06}}</ref> On June 27, 2001, Applied Materials acquired [[Israel]]i company [[Oramir|Oramir Semiconductor Equipment Ltd.]], a supplier of laser cleaning technologies for semiconductor wafers, in a purchase business combination for $21 million in cash.<ref name="Applied Materials, Inc.-10-Q">{{cite web|url=http://pdf.secdatabase.com/767/0000006951-01-500008.pdf |title=Applied Materials, Inc. Inc August 2001 Quarterly Report, Form 10-Q, Filing Date August 24, 2001 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date =Dec 26, 2012}}</ref>

In January 2008, Applied Materials purchased Baccini, an Italian company and designer of tools used in manufacturing solar cells.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/applied-materials-acquires-italys-baccini|title=Applied Materials acquires Baccini of Italy|first=Benjamin|last=Pimentel|website=marketwatch.com}}</ref>

In 2009, Applied Materials opened its Solar Technology Center, the world's largest commercial solar energy research and development facility, in [[Xi'an, China]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lim|first1=Louisa|title=The Green Rush Is On In China|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121512377|access-date=4 May 2016|work=NPR|date=16 December 2009}}</ref>

Applied Materials acquired Semitool Inc. in December 2009,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/applied-materials-to-buy-semitool-for-364-millon-2009-11-17|title=Applied Materials to acquire Semitool for $364 million|last=Bartash|first=Benjamin Pimentel, Jeffry|work=MarketWatch|access-date=2018-04-06|language=en-US}}</ref> and announced its acquisition of [[Varian Semiconductor]] in May 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/applied-materials-to-buy-varian-for-5-billion/|title=Applied Materials to Buy Varian|first=Chris V.|last=Nicholson|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=4 May 2011 }}</ref> Applied Materials then announced a planned merger with [[Tokyo Electron]] on September 24, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/applied-materials-to-merge-with-tokyo-electron/|title=U.S. Manufacturer of Chip-Making Equipment Buys Japanese Rival|first=Michael J. de la Merced and Eric|last=Pfanner|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=24 September 2013 }}</ref> If it had been approved by government regulators, the proposed combined company, to be called Eteris,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/applied-materials-and-tokyo-electron-pick-eteris-for-post-merger-name-1404781083|title=Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron Pick 'Eteris' For Post-Merger Name|first=Don|last=Clark|date=8 July 2014|via=www.wsj.com|newspaper=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> would have been the world's largest supplier of semiconductor processing equipment, with a total market value of $29 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/tokyo-electron-applied-materials-agree-to-merge-1380020997|title = Applied Materials to Acquire Tokyo Electron|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|date = 25 September 2013}}</ref> However, on April 27, 2015, Applied Materials announced that its merger with Tokyo Electron has been scrapped due to [[antitrust]] concerns and fears of dominating the semiconductor equipment industry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/business/dealbook/makers-of-chip-gear-call-off-10-billion-merger.html|title=Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron Call Off $10 Billion Merger|date=27 April 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|last1=Soble|first1=Jonathan}}</ref>

In 2015, Applied Materials left the solar wafer sawing and the solar ion implantation businesses.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pv-tech.org/applied_materials_withdraws_from_solar_ion_implant_and_wafer_sawing_sectors/ | title=Applied Materials withdraws from solar ion implant and wafer sawing sectors | date=19 August 2015 }}</ref>

Applied Materials was named among FORTUNE World's Most Admired Companies in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies|title=The World's Most Admired Companies for 2018|website=Fortune|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-26}}</ref>

In 2019, Applied Materials announced its intention to buy semiconductor equipment manufacturer (and former [[Hitachi]] group member) [[Kokusai Electric]] Corporation from private equity firm [[Kohlberg Kravis Roberts|KKR]] for $2.2&nbsp;billion, but terminated the deal in March 2021 citing delays in getting approval from China's regulator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-deals/Exclusive-Applied-Materials-to-buy-KKR-s-Kokusai-Electric-for-2.2bn|title=Exclusive: Applied Materials to buy KKR's Kokusai Electric for $2.2bn|website=Nikkei Asian Review}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-01/applied-materials-said-to-buy-kokusai-electric-for-2-3-billion |title = Applied Materials to Buy Kokusai from KKR for $2.2 Billion|newspaper = Bloomberg.com|date = 2020-01-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kokusai-m-a-applied-materials/applied-materials-terminates-2-2-billion-deal-for-japans-kokusai-electric-idUSKBN2BL1I4 |title=Applied Materials terminates $2.2 billion deal for Japan's Kokusai Electric |date=29 March 2021 |work=[[Reuters]] |first=Chavi |last=Mehta}}</ref>

In November 2023, Applied Materials was reported to be under criminal investigation by the [[United States Department of Justice]] for routing equipment to [[Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation]] via South Korea in violation of [[United States sanctions against China|US sanctions]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freifeld |first=Karen |date=2023-11-17 |title=Applied Materials under US criminal probe for shipments to China's SMIC-sources |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/applied-materials-under-us-criminal-probe-shipments-chinas-smic-sources-2023-11-16/ |access-date=2023-11-17}}</ref>