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Silicon Valley- Seeking to make a name for itself in advanced silicon technology, CP Clare Corp. last week said it will acquire analog and mixed-signal ASIC vendor Micronix Integrated Systems Inc. for $15.8 million.
Analysts said the acqui-sition is a key strategic move for Beverly, Mass.-based CP Clare, a maker of small-signal semiconductors and electromechanical switches and relays.
Buying a design house that specializes in the increasingly popular analog and mixed- signal technology will allow CP Clare to produce more integrated, higher-value-added, higher-margin products, said Doug Lee, an analyst at NationsBanc Montgomery Securities, San Francisco.
"CP Clare is a leader in the discrete-semiconductor segment with things like solid-state relays," Lee said. "The {acquisition} is an important step in the company's ongoing evolution to be an analog company. They've said they wanted to do more higher-end ICs, and they've been vocal about the possibility that they would acquire a company that may offer that technology."
The acquisition will provide new avenues of revenue for CP Clare, whose current semiconductor lineup can be "loosely categorized as analog," said analyst Michael...