Millipore files to split off electronics unit

WASHINGTON (Bloomberg) — Millipore Corp., a maker of filtering and water-purification systems used in computer-chip making, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to split off its microelectronics unit in a $150 million initial stock sale. The new company, Millipore MicroElectronics Inc., will be based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and will supply semiconductor and electronics manufacturers with gas delivery systems used in the chip-manufacturing process. The company sells its equipment to customers such as Applied Materials Inc., Motorola Inc., NEC Corp. and Sony Corp., the SEC filing said.