Elpida Memory
2013
$2.5B
Why
Micron acquired the assets of bankrupt Japanese DRAM manufacturer Elpida Memory to significantly expand its global market share, acquire valuable patent portfolios, and solidify its position as the number two global DRAM manufacturer, competing more effectively with Samsung and SK Hynix.
Impact
The acquisition allowed Micron to integrate Elpida's advanced mobile DRAM technologies and its Hiroshima, Japan fabrication facility, providing the company with a significant cost advantage in the mobile market and a strategic manufacturing footprint in Asia that complemented its US and Singapore operations.
Outcome
Elpida's technology has been fully integrated into Micron's mobile DRAM portfolio, contributing to the company's dominance in the smartphone memory market and providing the patent foundation necessary to defend against intellectual property litigation from competitors.