MIGDAL HA’EMEK, Israel–Jordan Valley Semiconductors LTD, a provider of semiconductor metrology solutions, has acquired the business of Bede, effective Monday, April 14th. Bede is the leading supplier of HRXRD (High Resolution XRD) metrology for the semiconductor and compound industries with revenues of $11.6M in 2007. Bede entered into the UK’s Administration phase, their equivalent of Chapter 11, on March 31.

“The acquired technology will fit into our product line almost seamlessly and will strengthen Jordan Valley’s position as the market leader in x-ray metrology,” commented Isaac Mazor, Jordan Valley CEO. “With the consolidated x-ray metrology product line and expanded customer base, Jordan Valley becomes a comprehensive solution provider for current and future semiconductor process control and metrology challenges.”

Bede X-Ray Metrology was founded in 1978 as a spinout company from England’s University of Durham. It has been listed on the London stock exchange (LSE:BED) since 2000. More information is available at www.bede.co.uk.

Jordan Valley Semiconductors LTD provides semiconductor metrology solutions for thin films based on novel, rapid, non-contacting, and non-destructive x-ray technologies and offer a comprehensive family of solutions based on advanced X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), and Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) technologies. These tools are fully automated, production ready, and ideal for both blanket and patterned wafers. Jordan Valley’s x-ray technologies enables accurate and precise characterization of all film types including single layers and multilayer stacks, high k and low k materials, metals and dielectrics, amorphous, poly-crystal and single crystal films. Research, development, and manufacturing are based in Migdal Ha’Emek, Israel. Applications engineering, customer support services, sales and marketing are located in Austin, Texas. http://www.jvsemi.com. Jordan Valley products and Bede products are used in production by leading semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.

Jordan Valley’s primary shareholders are Clal Industries and Investments Ltd. (TASE:CII), Intel Capital (NASDAQ:INTC), and Elron Electronic Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:ELRN).