History | About ADVANTEST | ADVANTEST CORPORATION

1950s~

Main uses of semiconductors: Mainframe Computers

We were founded as a developer and manufacturer of single-function electronic measurement instruments such as voltmeters and frequency counters. Following our success in this field, we embarked on a fruitful strategy of narrowing down target markets, differentiating our products with advanced technology, and winning market share. Our business expanded in line with the growth of the Japanese electronics industry. At the end of the 1960s, we were one of the first companies to foresee the historical opportunities soon to be created by the semiconductor industry, and staked our fortune on the development of test systems that would utilize our electronic measurement technologies. Overcoming a management crisis and other difficulties, we succeeded in developing semiconductor test systems with world-class performance.

1954 Takeda Riken Industries founded
1957 TR-124B Electronic Counter for digitally measuring frequency became a hit product
1963 Launched the Digital Multimeter, the first Japanese-made digital voltmeter
1972 Launched the first Japanese-made semiconductor test systems, the T-320/20 and T-320/30
1979 Launched a VLSI test system with a test frequency of 100MHz, boasting the highest performance in the world

Our original workforce. Founder Ikuo Takeda is second from left in the front row.

1980s~

Main uses of semiconductors: Personal Computers

In this era, the semiconductor market expanded massively due to the spread of personal computers and the invention of the internet. Our semiconductor test systems, which combine state-of-the-art measurement technology with volume production capabilities, supported the evolution and development of semiconductor devices. In 1985, we became the dominant player in the global semiconductor tester market. Test systems were now the core business of our company.

1982 Established a local subsidiary in the United States. Facilities were later established elsewhere around the world
1985 The company's name was changed to Advantest Corporation. Obtained the No. 1 share in the semiconductor test equipment market, according to VLSIresearch. (now TechInsights)
1993 Launched the T6691, a VLSI test system featuring an industry-best test speed of 500MHz/1GHz
1995 250MHz S-DRAM memory test system T5581 launched; it soon became a best-selling product

Our T5581 high-speed memory test system

2000s~

Main uses of semiconductors: Mobile Phones

After the turn of the century, smartphones took over from PCs as the main driver of semiconductor demand, and the global division of labor in semiconductor design and manufacturing progressed. Amid increasing market demands for cheaper, more efficient test, we worked to stabilize our management foundation, and implemented a series of forward-looking measures such as M&A of companies outside Japan. With our acquisition of Verigy in 2011, we staked the company's fortunes on a daring move for the second time in our history. It has paid off. The addition of Verigy's customer base and global operation know-how has supercharged our growth in the years since.

2000 The Nikkei 225 selects Advantest as one of the 225 stocks on which the Nikkei Average is calculated
2001 Established Japan's largest biotope on the grounds of the Gunma R&D Center
2003 Acquired Japan Engineering Co., Ltd. Launched the T2000, an open architecture SoC test system
2008 Acquired Credence Systems GmbH
2011 Acquired Verigy, a major semiconductor test equipment company
2013 Acquired W2BI.COM
2018 Announced Grand Design and first mid-term management plan
2019 Acquired the system level test business of Astronics, Corp. (USA)

A 2011 press conference announcing our acquisition of fellow semiconductor test equipment supplier Verigy

2020s~

Main uses of semiconductors: Big Data/AI

It is already possible to discern that the spread of AI and 5G will bring about an explosion in the amount of data processed around the world, propelling a new phase of evolution in the semiconductor market. Semiconductors, so essential to our data-driven society, are gaining in sophistication, complexity, and capacity, and need to be more reliable than ever before. As the digital transformation advances and the semiconductor value chain further evolves and expands, we will continue to create new customer value, including expansion of our business into system-level testing and data analytics.

2020 Acquired Essai Inc. (USA). Business alliance with PDF Solutions, Inc. (USA). Launched V93000 EXA Scale™
2021 Formulation of ESG Action Plan. Announced second Mid-Term Management Plan. Acquired R&D Altanova, Inc. (USA)
2022 Acquired CREA S.r.l. (Italy)
2023 Acquired Shin Puu Technology Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)

Our system-level test system R&D and production facility in the US