Shareholders in chip machinery maker ASM International have agreed to delay any discussion about dividing the company up until 2012.

The company has been embroiled in a heated discussion about separating into two parts since 2006, under pressure from activist shareholders and the Dutch company court is currently investigating management’s response to criticism.
ASMI’s front end division, which makes machines for the early stages of chip production, is not profitable. The back end operations, based in Singapore and listed on the local market there, are profitable, the Financieele Dagblad says.
The shareholders meeting ‘further supported the view of the boards that a discussion on the structure of the company should be postponed and held at the annual general meeting of shareholders in 2012 if profitability of the front-end business shall not have been achieved by that time,’ ASMI said in a statement.