Atotech
Atotech is a Germany-based specialty chemicals and equipment company serving electronics manufacturing and industrial metal-finishing markets.
Last updated September 23, 2026
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Overview
Atotech is a German specialty chemicals and production-equipment company focused on surface-finishing technologies. Its customers include manufacturers of printed circuit boards, IC substrates and semiconductors, as well as industrial users that apply decorative or functional coatings to products and components. The company combines process chemistry, equipment, application engineering and local technical support rather than operating solely as a commodity chemicals supplier. The business is organized around two principal areas: Electronics and General Metal Finishing. Electronics serves the production of printed circuit boards, package substrates and semiconductor-related components. Its technologies are used in processes such as copper deposition, plating, cleaning, etching and other treatments required to build conductive structures and protect highly engineered electronic parts. General Metal Finishing serves sectors including automotive, construction, furniture and other industrial markets. Its portfolio includes decorative coatings, corrosion-protection systems, electroless nickel, hard chrome and functional electronic coatings. Atotech was established in 1993 after ELF Atochem combined its M&T Harshaw operations with the electroplating division acquired from Schering AG. Although the Atotech name dates from that transaction, the company traces its technical lineage to Schering's Berlin pharmaceutical and chemical activities and, more specifically, to an electroplating division established in 1901. Historical developments associated with that division included metal-treatment salt mixtures, faster electrolytes and early gloss-finishing baths. This heritage gave Atotech a base in both electroplating chemistry and production technology. Following its formation, Atotech expanded from German operations into a global network of manufacturing plants, technology centers, sales offices and service locations. The company has operated in more than 40 countries, with a particularly substantial employee and customer presence in Asia, alongside established operations in Europe and the Americas. Reference material describes a workforce of more than 4,000 people, with approximately 56 percent in Asia, 35 percent in Europe and 9 percent in the Americas. Atotech has also been associated with approximately 2,300 patents, reflecting its emphasis on process development and application-specific engineering. Ownership changed several times. Total sold Atotech to The Carlyle Group at the end of 2016. Atotech subsequently completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in February 2021 under the symbol ATC. In July 2021, MKS Instruments agreed to acquire the company in a transaction valued at approximately $5.1 billion in cash and stock. The acquisition made Atotech part of MKS Instruments' broader portfolio of process technologies and resulted in the end of Atotech's standalone public-company status. Atotech's competitive position rests on integrated solutions: chemistry, equipment, process control and technical service delivered across the customer's production line. Its customers typically require consistent coating performance, high throughput, yield improvement, reliability and compliance with changing environmental and industrial requirements. The company therefore occupies a specialized position between advanced materials supplier, industrial equipment provider and manufacturing-process partner. As part of MKS Instruments, Atotech remains an active global supplier to electronics and surface-finishing industries.
History
Atotech's history combines a modern corporate formation in 1993 with a much older German electroplating tradition. Its technical ancestry reaches back to Grüne Apotheke, founded in Berlin in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering. Schering's chemical activities later developed into the organization associated with Schering AG. In 1901, an electroplating division was established and began producing metal-treatment salt mixtures under the Trisalyt name. The Schering organization expanded and changed form during the early twentieth century. In 1927, Chemische Fabrik auf Actien, formerly E. Schering, merged with CAF Kahlbaum Chemische Fabrik GmbH to form Schering-Kahlbaum AG, which adopted the shorter Schering AG name in 1937. The electroplating division continued to develop process chemistry. In 1936 it introduced Copper Trisalyt Extra Rapid, described as an early fast electrolyte, and Brilliant, an early gloss surface bath. These developments contributed to the creation of a dedicated electroplating department. In 1951, Schering AG began operating an electroplating division in Feucht, Germany. Feucht later became an important equipment-production location associated with Atotech. The electroplating division moved to a new Berlin site in 1989. In 1993, Schering AG sold the division to the French chemical company ELF Atochem. ELF Atochem combined the acquired business with its M&T Harshaw subsidiary, creating Atotech Deutschland GmbH and establishing the Atotech organization. After its formation, Atotech developed manufacturing, technology and service capabilities in Germany and then extended them across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The company's model evolved beyond the sale of individual chemical products. It supplied integrated production systems, process chemistry, equipment and customer support for manufacturers whose operations require tightly controlled surface treatment. This approach supported expansion in printed circuit boards, package substrates, semiconductor applications and general industrial finishing. Atotech's two principal business segments became Electronics and General Metal Finishing. Electronics addresses the specialized requirements of circuit-board and semiconductor production, where plating and related wet-chemical processes create or modify conductive structures and influence product reliability. General Metal Finishing serves applications such as automotive components, construction products and furniture, with solutions for appearance, corrosion resistance, durability and functional electrical performance. The ownership history changed again in the twenty-first century. Total sold Atotech to The Carlyle Group at the end of 2016. Geoff Wild was appointed chief executive in March 2017, during the company's Carlyle ownership period. Atotech later pursued a public-market listing and completed an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange on February 4, 2021, under the symbol ATC. In July 2021, MKS Instruments agreed to acquire Atotech for approximately $5.1 billion in a combination of cash and stock. The transaction shifted Atotech from a standalone listed company into the MKS Instruments group. The acquisition also connected Atotech's surface-finishing technologies with MKS's wider portfolio of instruments, process-control technologies and manufacturing solutions. Atotech continues to operate as an active business serving global electronics and industrial-finishing customers, with headquarters in Berlin and operations, production, technology and service locations in more than 40 countries.
- 2021
Initial public offering
[1]Atotech listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ATC on February 4, 2021.
- 2021
MKS Instruments acquisition agreement
[1]MKS Instruments agreed to acquire Atotech in July 2021 in a transaction valued at approximately $5.1 billion.
- 2016
Ownership transferred to The Carlyle Group
[1]Total sold Atotech to The Carlyle Group at the end of 2016.
- 1993
Atotech founded
[1]ELF Atochem combined M&T Harshaw with Schering AG's electroplating division and formed Atotech Deutschland GmbH.
- 1989
Electroplating division moves to Berlin
[1]The electroplating division moved from its earlier location to a new site in Berlin.
- 1951
Electroplating operations established in Feucht
[1]Schering began operating its electroplating division in Feucht, Germany, a site later associated with Atotech equipment production.
- 1936
Early fast electrolyte and gloss bath developed
[1]The electroplating division developed Copper Trisalyt Extra Rapid and the Brilliant gloss surface bath.
- 1901
Schering electroplating division established
[1]Schering launched an electroplating division that produced metal-treatment salt mixtures under the Trisalyt brand.
- 1851
Schering lineage begins in Berlin
[1]Grüne Apotheke was founded in Berlin by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering, forming part of the historical chemical lineage later connected with Atotech.
Products and positioning
A global specialist in integrated surface-finishing solutions, combining specialty chemistry, manufacturing equipment and technical services for electronics and industrial coating applications.
Printed circuit boards, IC substrates and semiconductors
Electronics process chemistry
Atotech supplies specialty chemical processes for electronics manufacturers. These technologies support wet processing, plating, copper deposition, cleaning, etching and related steps used to manufacture printed circuit boards, package substrates and semiconductor components. The offering is designed for controlled production environments where conductivity, adhesion, dimensional accuracy, reliability and yield are critical.
Industrial process equipment
Electronics production equipment
The Electronics business provides equipment and integrated production systems for applying and managing chemical processes in electronics manufacturing. Equipment is combined with process chemistry, engineering and service support so customers can implement production lines rather than purchase isolated chemical inputs.
Decorative surface finishing
Decorative metal-finishing systems
These systems provide appearance-oriented surface treatments for industrial products and components. Applications include decorative coatings used in sectors such as automotive, construction and furniture, where color, gloss, uniformity and resistance to wear or environmental exposure are important.
Functional surface finishing
Functional metal-finishing systems
Atotech's functional-finishing portfolio addresses performance requirements including corrosion protection, hardness, durability, conductivity and component reliability. Referenced technologies include electroless nickel, hard chrome and functional electronic coatings for industrial and engineered applications.
Brand decisions
2021
New York Stock Exchange listingOtherBackground
After its period under Carlyle ownership, Atotech pursued access to public equity markets.
Action taken
Atotech completed an IPO on February 4, 2021, using the ticker ATC.
Aftermath
The company became a standalone publicly traded issuer for a limited period before its acquisition by MKS Instruments.
2021
Agreement to join MKS InstrumentsM&ABackground
MKS Instruments sought to expand its manufacturing-process technology portfolio with Atotech's specialty chemistry, equipment and surface-finishing capabilities.
Action taken
MKS Instruments agreed in July 2021 to acquire Atotech in a cash-and-stock transaction.
Aftermath
Atotech became part of MKS Instruments and ceased to operate as an independent listed company.
Announced transaction value. $5.1 billion (July 2021 announcement)
2016
Sale to The Carlyle GroupM&ABackground
Total decided to sell Atotech at the end of 2016.
Action taken
The Carlyle Group acquired Atotech.
Aftermath
Atotech continued as a privately owned company before pursuing a public listing.
1993
Creation of an integrated electroplating companyStrategyBackground
ELF Atochem acquired Schering AG's electroplating division and combined it with M&T Harshaw.
Action taken
The combined operations were organized as Atotech Deutschland GmbH, creating a business focused on electroplating chemistry and equipment.
Aftermath
The transaction established the corporate platform that later expanded into electronics manufacturing and general metal finishing markets worldwide.
Recent events
- 2021
Atotech completes New York Stock Exchange IPO[1]
Other
Atotech went public on February 4, 2021, using the ticker ATC.
- 2021
MKS Instruments agrees to acquire Atotech[1]
M&A
MKS Instruments agreed in July 2021 to purchase Atotech in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $5.1 billion.
- 2017
Geoff Wild appointed Atotech chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Geoff Wild became Atotech's chief executive in March 2017.
- 2016
Atotech sold by Total to The Carlyle Group[1]
M&A
Total completed the sale of Atotech to private-equity firm The Carlyle Group at the end of 2016.
Sources1 sources
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