Article: Semiconductor-Equipment Firm Applied Materials to Buy Etec Systems.(Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)

Jan. 13--Applied Materials Inc., the largest maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, said Wednesday that it will buy Etec Systems Inc., another maker of equipment critical to chip making, in a deal valued at $1.78 billion.

The acquisition is not expected to have an immediate effect on Applied's manufacturing operations in Austin, where the company employs about 3,000 workers and is busy trying to fill several hundred more job openings.

Austin is the major manufacturing center for Santa Clara, Calif.-based Applied.

Though Applied dominates the chip equipment business, accounting for about one-fifth of the industry's sales, Etec is ...

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