[Seoul, South Korea = Whowired] May 14, 2012 --  Gigaphoton Inc., a major lithography light source manufacturer, announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Gigaphoton Korea Inc. started business operation on May 1. Through Gigaphoton Korea Inc., the company will aggressively promote new business opportunities with Korean device manufacturers as its potential customers and further reinforce its local technical support system for existing customers of Gigaphoton DUV laser for semiconductor lithography systems in Korea.

Gigaphoton has operated its excimer laser business through USHIO KOREA INC., a wholly owned subsidiary of USHIO INC., as its sales representative. However, Gigaphoton became a wholly owned subsidiary of Komatsu after Komatsu purchased the 50% of Gigaphoton shares owned by USHIO INC. in May 2011. Gigaphoton then started taking over its business in Korea from USHIO INC.

Continuing this process, Gigaphoton founded its wholly owned Korean subsidiary last August and proceeded with business transfer. With completion of the business transfer, Gigaphoton Korea Inc. is able to start business operation on May 1, 2012.

Korea is one of the most important regions in the global semiconductor industry. Gigaphoton Korea Inc. will develop best-in-class customer support activities fully backed up by the headquarters of its parent company, Gigaphoton Inc. In addition, the company believes that Gigaphoton Korea will play a very important role in establishing firm relationships with Korean semiconductor device manufacturers so as to accelerate its development of the EUV as the next-generation lithography light source.

Starting the business operation of Gigaphoton Korea is significant for the global business strategy of the Gigaphoton Group. Following the start of its wholly owned US subsidiary in April 2008, the launch of Gigaphoton Korea is considered as a great advancement to reinforce its global customer support system.

Corporate Profile of Gigaphoton Korea Inc. (as of May 2012)

Company Name: Gigaphoton Korea Inc.
Address: 12, Wongomae-Ro, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 446-901, Republic of Korea
Established on: August 16, 2011
Business operation started on: May 1, 2012
Capital: 1.5 billion won
Representative Director: Yutaka Katsuki
Business Description: Field service support and spare parts sales of DUV laser

About Gigaphoton

Since its founding in 2000, Gigaphoton has developed and delivered user-friendly, high-performance DUV laser light sources used by major semi-conductor chipmakers in the Pan-Asian, US and European regions.

Gigaphoton's patented, innovative LPP EUV technology solutions will lead the way to a cost-effective, highly productive lithography source for high-volume production. With a global business outlook, Gigaphoton strives to be the world's number one lithography light source provider, focusing on end-user needs in every phase of its business, from research and development to manufacturing to best-in-class reliability and world-class customer support. See http://www.gigaphoton.com/e/index.html.