ASML Holding NV (ASML) Thursday said Japan Fair Trade Commission has cleared its acquisition of Cymer Inc. (CYMI).
Previously, the deal had received clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, as well as the Taiwanese, German and Israeli antitrust authorities. Cymer's stockholders had also approved the deal.
Cymer and ASML continue to expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2013.
In October 2012, Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML Holding agreed to buy Cymer in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at 1.95 billion euros or $2.55 billion.
Cymer is a supplier of lithography light sources used by chipmakers to manufacture advanced semiconductor devices. ASML expects the acquisition will accelerate the development of EUV semiconductor lithography technology, a new manufacturing technology that will make microchips having more functions at a cheaper cost.
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