Veeco Instruments

About Veeco Instruments

At its core, Veeco Instruments makes the highly complex machines that manufacture the building blocks of our digital world. If you've used a smartphone, seen a modern LED display, or benefited from cloud computing, you've touched technology that Veeco's equipment helps create. The company is a key player in the semiconductor supply chain, providing the precision tools needed to make the microscopic components that power everything from AI to 5G. The story begins in 1945 when two scientists, Frank Raible and Al Nerken, founded the Vacuum Electronic Equipment Company—Veeco for short. Their first product was a helium leak detector, a critical tool born out of sensitive post-war government projects. For decades, the company evolved, merging with power supply manufacturer Lambda in the 1960s and later being acquired by a British firm. A pivotal moment came in 1990 when a group of senior executives, led by then-COO Edward H. Braun, bought Veeco's instrument division, re-establishing it as an independent company focused on the growing semiconductor and data storage industries. This new Veeco went public via an IPO in 1994, raising capital that fueled its expansion. What followed was a series of strategic acquisitions that defined its modern identity. A key move was acquiring Emcore's MOCVD business in 2003, which positioned Veeco as a leader in the crucial market for LED manufacturing. In 2017, the purchase of Ultratech further expanded its reach into advanced packaging for semiconductors. Today, led by CEO Bill Miller, Veeco continues to push the boundaries of materials science for the semiconductor industry, with a strong focus on technologies enabling AI and high-performance computing. The next chapter is already being written, with an announced merger with Axcelis Technologies expected to create a larger, more diversified player in the critical semiconductor equipment market.