Carlyle to pay .6 mln for Japan chip firm stake

TOKYO, Apr 18 (Reuters) Private equity firm The Carlyle Group is set to buy a 15 percent stake in Japan's Nakaya Microdevices Corp.

for 1.5 billion yen (.6 million), a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Nakaya Microdevices, which is based in Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, assembles and tests microchips for chip makers including Toshiba Corp., Japan's second-largest electronics conglomerate.

Carlyle's investment in Nakaya Microdevices will be completed by the end of the month via a private placement.

Washington-based Carlyle has been looking for a deal in Japan to follow a 91.6 billion yen management buyout it led with Unison Capital of a Toshiba chip wafer unit.

Private equity firms are keen to invest in Japanese chip makers because they have world-class technology but are often undervalued due to poorly calculated investments and slow decision making.

REUTERS SBA RN0820