Cabot acquires CMP slurry patents from IBM

Cabot Microelectronics Corp., a supplier of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing slurries to the semiconductor industry, announced that it has entered into a patent assignment agreement with IBM Corp.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company has acquired a number of patents and associated rights relating to CMP slurry technology from IBM, including various applications such as copper, copper barrier, tungsten and dielectrics.

"We believe these technology rights will enhance our competitive advantage and expand our intellectual property portfolio," stated William Noglows, chairman and CEO, Cabot Microelectronics. "For almost twenty years, since the early days of CMP technology, we have had a productive and collaborative relationship with IBM as an important customer, and we believe that this acquisition of CMP slurry patents reflects and furthers this positive relationship and our ability to bring value to all of our customers."