SAN JOSE -- Tessera Technologies, a fabless chip packaging company, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase certain assets of Shellcase Ltd., for $33 million in cash. The deal is pending standard closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the December quarter.

Shellcase is a provider of commercial wafer-level image sensor packaging. Its technology portfolio includes wafer-level packaging for image sensors and other devices used in cellphones that integrate digital cameras.

"Tessera is one of the world's leading technology development and licensing companies. This, in combination with the Shellcase technology and team, will enable us to grow the new business substantially," said Bruce McWilliams, Tessera's chairman and chief executive officer. "Furthermore, it solidifies our position in the wafer-level packaging market for image sensors and MEMS devices, which we believe to be among the semiconductor industry's fastest growing market segments."

According to Prismark Partners, a research firm, the image sensor market is expected to grow from approximately 520 million units in 2004 to approximately 1.3 billion units by 2009. And In-Stat forecasts the MEMS market to grow from 2.4 billion units in 2004 to nearly 6 billion units by 2009.