TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

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Milestones

The growth of TEL has always been in sync with the history of the semiconductor industry.
Ever since its inception, TEL has tirelessly pursued the leading-edge technologies and innovations.
Here are the milestones of the company’s development.

Diagram

TEL is Innovative & Flexible Market Change

History

1960’s
1963
  • Tokyo Electron Laboratories, Inc. is established in Akasaka, Minato-ku with capital of five million yen as an affiliate of Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc.
  • TEL begins sales and delivery of diffusion furnace, leak ditector, and IC production system
TEL's birth
TEL's birth
1964
  • TEL acquires importing and selling rights for diffusion furnace manufactured by Thermco Products Corp. (U.S.) and begins sales
1965
  • Concludes an agency agreement with Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. (U.S.) to sell Fairchild's IC testers in Japan
1966
  • Importing and selling of the first IC testers
1967
  • Pan Electron Inc. is established and becomes Japan's first stocking distributor for imported electronic parts
  • San Francisco office opens
1968
  • A joint venture with the Thermco Products Corp. (U.S.), named TEL-Thermco Engineering Co., Ltd., is established within the TBS building
  • TEL-Thermco Engineering Co., Ltd. begins domestic production of diffusion furnaces
  • Osaka branch opens
Diffusion furnaces
Diffusion furnaces
1969
  • Yokohama office opens
  • Teltron Co., Ltd. is established and begins car stereo OEM export sales
1970’s
1970
  • MEC Engineering Inc. is established
  • TEL-Thermco Engineering Co., Ltd. offices are relocated to Yokohama. Complete domestic production of diffusion furnaces
  • Agency agreement concluded with Cobilt Division of Computervision Inc. (U.S.)
1971
  • TEL Engineering Inc. is established
  • MEC Engineering Inc. begins line printer sales
1972
  • Tokyo Process Development Inc. is established and begins import and sales of analytical equipment (equipment for pollution prevention)
  • Pan Electron Inc. begins import and sales of microprocessors as an agent of Intel Corp.
  • TEL America, Inc. is established
1973
  • Agency agreement concluded with Computervision Inc. (U.S.) and import of CAD/CAM systems begun
  • Yamanashi office opens
  • European office established
1974
  • Receives award from Faichild Semiconductor Corp. for expanding sales of IC testers
1975
  • Withdraws from production and export of consumer electronic goods
1976
  • TEL-Thermco Engineering Co., Ltd. develops the world's first high-pressure oxidation furnace
The world's first high-pressure oxidation furnace
The world's first high-pressure oxidation furnace
1977
  • Agency agreement concluded with KLA (U.S.)
  • First SEMICON Japan event held
First SEMICON Japan
First SEMICON Japan
1978
  • Tokyo Electron Laboratories, Inc. renamed Tokyo Electron Ltd.
  • Japan's first IC test center established
  • Agency agreement concluded with Varian Associates Inc. (U.S.)
1980’s
1980
  • Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
  • Agency agreement concluded with AMD (U.S.)
  • TEL receives Noda Institute of Economic Research Excellent Management Award
Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
1981
  • TEL-GenRad Ltd. established, making possible domestic production of in-circuit board tester
1982
  • TEL Establishes Central Research Laboratory within the Yamanashi office
  • TEL-Varian Ltd. established, making possible domestic production of ion implantation devices
  • TEL MEC, Inc. started to develop the CLEAN TRACK system
Ion implantation devices
Ion implantation devices
1983
  • TEL-Lam Ltd. is established
  • TEL-Thermco engineering Co. Ltd. offices relocated from Yokohama to Shiroyama Town, Tsukui District, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Ranked 4th on the Nikkei Excellent Companies Ranking
  • Kyushu office opens
1984
  • Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
  • Ranked 4th on the Nikkei Excellent Companies Ranking
1985
  • Yokohama VLSI design center established as a first for a semiconductor trading company
  • Tohoku office opens
  • Ranked 4th on the Nikkei Excellent Companies Ranking
1986
  • Completion of Central Research Laboratory in the Hosaka Industrial Estate in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture
  • Shipping of first vertical diffusion furnace manufactured by TEL-Thermco Engineering Co., Ltd.
  • TEL-Lam Ltd. becomes 100% subsidiary company and changes company name to TEL Yamanashi Ltd. the following year
  • Export of semiconductor production equipment begins
  • TEL Tohoku Electronics Ltd. is established
Central Research Laboratory
Central Research Laboratory
1987
  • TEL Kyushu Ltd. is established
  • Fuchu office opens
1988
  • TEL-Thermco Engineering Co. Ltd. becomes 100% subsidiary company and changes company name to TEL Sagami Ltd.
1989
  • Attains top sales among semiconductor production equipment manufacturers
  • Varian-TEL Ltd. is established in California, U.S.A.
1990’s
1990
  • TEL marks a major move into development and marketing of FPD production equipment
  • Tokyo Electron FE Ltd. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Device Ltd. is established
1991
  • Top sales among semiconductor production equipment manufacturers attained for three consecutive years
  • Tokyo Electron Sapporo Ltd. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Saga Ltd. is established
1992
  • TEL Engineering Inc. is established
1993
  • Tokyo Electron FE Korea Ltd. is established
  • Sales of FPD Production equipment Coater/Developer begins
1994
  • Tokyo Electron Europe Ltd. is established
  • TEL America, Inc. company name is changed to Tokyo Electron America, Inc.
  • First single-wafer CVD system shipped
1995
  • New corporate slogan "Customer Satisfaction" established
  • Tokyo Electron Oregon, Inc. is established as the first overseas development and production site
  • Tokyo Electron Kyushu opens the Ozu office
  • All Tokyo Electron FE Korea Ltd. stocks acquired and Tokyo Electron Korea Ltd. is established
1996
  • Tokyo Electron Taiwan Ltd. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Massachusetts, Inc. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Phoenix Laboratories, Inc. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Texas, Inc. is established
1997
  • Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd. is established (Matsushima office)
1998
  • Completion of the Process Technology Center for the 300mm wafer in the Hosaka District, Yamanashi
  • Separation of the functions of the Board of Directors and the executive body
    Compensation Committee, Ethics Committee, and Chief Business Ethics Director are established
  • Stock option system introduced
  • Tokyo Electron Arizona, Inc. is established
  • Tokyo Electron EE Ltd. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Israel Ltd. is established
Process Technology Center
Process Technology Center
1999
  • TEL receives Tokyo Stock Exchange's Fourth Annual Award for Excellence in Disclosure
  • Category of industry on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section changed from "Wholesale Trade" to "Electric Appliances"
  • Disclosure of compensation of individual representative directors
Fourth Annual Award for Excellence in Disclosure
Fourth Annual Award for Excellence in Disclosure
2000’s
2000
  • SEMI creates "SEMI Akira Inoue Award" in recognition of Akira Inoue's activities for environmental measures in the semiconductor industry
  • Attainment of 1,000 coater/developer "CLEAN TRACK™ ACT™ 8" shipped
  • TEL shares selected for inclusion in the Nikkei 225 index
  • Acquisition of Supercritical Systems Inc.
  • Establishment of Nomination Committee
SEMI Akira Inoue Award
SEMI Akira Inoue Award
2001
  • Formulation of the corporate message "People. Technology. Commitment."
  • Acquisition of Timbre Technologies Inc.
  • TEL Awarded Excellence in Corporate Governance (ECG) by ISS
2002
  • Participation in Albany NanoTech Program for industry-academia joint research promotion and support
  • Tokyo Electron (Shanghai) Logistic Center Ltd. is established
  • Tokyo Electron Software Technologies Ltd. is established
Albany NanoTech Program
Albany NanoTech Program
2003
  • TEL Receives Prime Minister's Award for its Contribution to Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration
  • Tokyo Electron (Shanghai) Ltd. is established
  • TEL Technology Center, America, LLC is established
  • Executive Officer System introduced
Prime Minister's Award
Prime Minister's Award
2004
  • U.S. holding company, Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings, Inc., is established
2005
  • TEL receives Tokyo Stock Exchange's Tenth Annual award for Excellence in Disclosure for the second time since 1999
  • TEL awarded the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon in recognition of provision of support after the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster
2006
  • "TEL Values" formulated as codes of conduct
  • Tokyo Electron Korea Solution Ltd. is established
  • TEL Venture Capital, Inc. is established in U.S.
  • TEL Epion Inc. is established (Epion Inc. (U.S.) acquired)
  • Shipping of the 10,000th vertical-type thermal processing equipment
2007
  • The in-house human resource development organization "TEL UNIVERSITY" is established
  • Shipment of the wafer prober reaches 20,000 units
2008
  • TEL receives "Intellectual Property Achievement Award"
  • Tokyo Electron India Private Ltd. is established
  • Overall ranking No.2 in the FY2007 Prism Ranking (ranking of excellent companies)
2009
  • Entry into photovoltaic (PV) production equipment business (acquisition of Swiss Oerlikon Solar in 2012)
2010’s
2010
  • Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd. is established (Taiwa office)
Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd.
Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd.
2011
  • Tokyo Electron Scholarship to be established at Peking University
  • TEL Probus-SiC™ wins grand prize at "Semiconductor of the Year 2011"
  • TEL named one of the World's Most Sustainable Companies
  • Tokyo Electron (Kunshan) Ltd. is established
2012
  • Tokyo Electron Singapore PTE Ltd. is established
  • TEL NEXX, Inc. is established (NEXX Systems, Inc. acquired, ownership transfer completed in October 2018)
  • TEL FSI, Inc. is established (FSI International, Inc. acquired)
  • TEL Magnetic Solutions Ltd. is established (Magnetic Solutions Ltd. acquired)
  • The Synapse™ Series wafer bonder/debonder equipment wins Award for Excellence at "Semiconductor of the Year 2012"
  • TEL to conduct technology development for STT-MRAM production equipment under new Tohoku University Center for Academic-Industrial Collaboration
2013
  • Tokyo Electron 50th anniversary
  • TEL joins the UN Global Compact
  • Concluded merger agreement with Applied Materials, Inc.
2014
  • Sells a portion of its shares in Tokyo Electron Device Ltd., which thereby changed from a consolidated subsidiary to an equity method affiliate
  • Withdrawal from photovoltaic (PV) production equipment business
  • Single Wafer Cleaning System, CELLESTA™ -i MD wins grand prize at "Semiconductor of the Year 2014"
  • TEL ships 250th Triase+™ EX-II™ TiN Metallization System
2015
  • TEL makes Thomson Reuters' (Current Refinitiv) 2014 Top 100 Global Innovators List
  • Merger agreement with Applied Materials, Inc. dissolved
  • Establishment of Tokyo Electron Corporate Governance Guidelines
  • Complete construction of TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity at Tohoku University
  • Re-emergence as New TEL (Vision, Medium-term Management Plan formulated and new Corporate Logo created)
  • TEL joins Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC)
  • The EXIM™ Sputtering System for next-generation devices wins Award for Excellence at "Semiconductor of the Year 2015"
Re-emergence as New TEL
New Corporate Logo
2014 Top 100 Global Innovators List
2014 Top 100 Global Innovators List
2016
  • Tokyo Electron Miyagi ships 5,000th etch process chamber
  • TEL receives Prime Minister's Award in citation of merit for Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration
2017
  • Tokyo Electron Technology Solutions Ltd. is established (by merger of consolidated subsidiaries)
  • Chosen for the Forbes Japan 100 Most Influential People for Japan
2018
  • TEL cited as Thomson Reuters' (Current Refinitiv) "Top 100 Global Tech Leaders"
  • Tokyo Electron (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd is established
2019
  • Formed a partnership with BRIDG
2020’s
2020
  • TEL Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc. is established (by merger of consolidated subsidiaries)
  • Tetsuro Higashi (Former Chairman, President & CEO) receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
2021
  • TEL Tops Domestic List in the Second ROESG Rankings (2020 Edition)
  • TEL shares selected for inclusion in the TOPIX Core30
  • TEL introduces E-COMPASS, a Supply Chain Initiative for the Environment
E-COMPASS
2022
  • TEL wins Grand Prize for Corporate Governance of the Year® 2021
  • TEL wins recognition as a Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator 2022
  • TELʼs listing transferred to Prime Market in Tokyo Stock Exchange
  • TEL cited as "Most Honored Company" in the All-Japan Executive Team Rankings for seven years in succession
  • TEL named among the top 500 companies in the Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program for the fourth consecutive year
  • Chosen for the FTSE Blossom Japan Index and the MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index for six years in succession
  • TEL announces new Vision “A company filled with dreams and vitality that contributes to technological innovation in semiconductors” and introduces Corporate Message “Technology Enabling Life”
  • TEL wins Porter Prize 2022 to bestow recognition on companies that have achieved and maintained superior profitability
  • TEL chosen for the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index for seven years in succession
Grand Prize Trophy
Grand Prize Trophy

1963

Founded as a technology trading company

Tokyo Electron Laboratories, Inc. is established in Akasaka, Minato-ku with capital of five million yen as an affiliate of Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc.
In 1963, young entrepreneurs including Tokuo Kubo and Toshio Kodaka established Tokyo Electron Laboratories, Inc., driven by a conviction that semiconductors were about to transform the industry.

1991

Top sales among semiconductor production equipment manufacturers attained for three consecutive years

TEL began exporting its semiconductor production equipment in 1986, and already in 1991, it was ranked No. 1 in sales among all semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the world.

1994

Globalization year one

From the 1990s onwards, TEL reinforced its group company structure in Japan by establishing a number of several subsidiaries responsible for service and manufacturing. The company’s overseas operations that began in 1980 also expanded vigorously in the 1990s, resulting in a broad network of overseas TEL subsidiaries that offered direct sales and support in the fast-growing global market. It was around this time that TEL began to turn itself into a truly global company.

2015

Re-emergence as New TEL

In 2015, TEL introduced a Medium-term Management Plan and a financial model for world-class profitability, marking a fresh start.

2022

TEL establishes new Vision and new Medium-term Management Plan, and introduces Corporate Message

TEL reported strong financial results for the year ended March 2022, attaining the targets set in the 2015 Medium-term Management Plan two years ahead of schedule. Aiming for further growth, the company announced a new Vision and a new Medium-term Management Plan, while also introducing a Corporate Message “Technology Enabling Life” as an expression of its philosophy.

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