GlobalWafers, a Taiwanese silicon wafer supplier to chipmakers, announced the acquisition of SEMI (SunEdison Semiconductor Ltd.), the US-based silicon wafer manufacturer, for US$683 million, according to Bloomberg on August 18. The acquisition is expected to put GlobalWafers at the world's third place, with a combined market share of 17%. The merged company is expected to create synergies as they have few overlaps in customers, products, and production capacities. For example, SEMI's silicon-on-insulator technology and epitaxial wafer capability are patented technologies that GlobalWafers lacks. With the cooperation, GlobalWafers could gain access to the European Union and South Korea.