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CyberOptics Corporation reported sales of $22.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 ended December 31, an increase of 31% from $16.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2021, which benefitted from a gross margin percentage of almost 50%, came to $3.4 million or $0.45 per diluted share, an increase of 132% from earnings of $1.5 million or $0.20 per diluted share in the year-earlier quarter.
CyberOptics reported record sales and earnings in 2021. For the full-year, sales totaled $92.8 million, an increase of 32% from $70.1 million in 2020. Net income in 2021 was $12.8 million or $1.69 per diluted share, up significantly from $5.7 million or $0.77 per diluted share in 2020. CyberOptics record operating results were driven by sales of its 3D Multi-Reflection Suppression™ (MRS™)-based sensors and inspection and metrology system products and WaferSense semiconductor sensors. These products accounted for 78% of total sales in 2021, compared to 67% in 2020.
Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, president and chief executive officer, commented, “Our strong fourth quarter sales demonstrate that CyberOptics is continuing to penetrate and gain traction in our targeted surface mount technology (SMT) and semiconductor capital equipment markets. The competitive advantages of our advanced sensor and inspection and metrology system products are enabling us to capitalize upon strong growth opportunities in these markets. Demand for our MRS-based products and WaferSense sensors is expected to remain strong for some time, making us optimistic about CyberOptics’ outlook for the first quarter of 2022. We also see the full year shaping up as another period of strong operating results.”
Sales of 3D and 2D sensors increased 40% year-over-year to $7.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Within this category, sales of 3D MRS sensors rose 41% year-over-year to $5.0 million in the fourth quarter, driven by demand for these sensors for high-end electronics and semiconductor inspection and metrology applications. Sales of 3D and 2D sensors are forecasted to post strong year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2022.
Sales of semiconductor sensors, principally our WaferSense line of sensors, increased 62% year-over-year to $6.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Ongoing demand for semiconductor capital equipment is driving the sales growth of these yield and process improvement sensors. Sales of semiconductor sensors are forecasted to record strong year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2022.
Sales of inspection and metrology systems rose 11% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2021 to $9.1 million. Within this product category, fourth quarter sales of SQ3000™ Multi-Function inspection and metrology systems increased 15% year-over-year to $4.7 million. Of total SQ3000 sales, $1.1 million was generated by sales of systems for mini-LED inspection and metrology. SQ3000 sales related to mini-LED applications totaled $8.0 million for the full year, up from $4.6 million in 2020, and the mini-LED backlog at December 31, 2021 stood at $1.4 million. Additional orders are anticipated in 2022.
Fourth quarter system sales also benefited from customer acceptances of nearly $1.0 million for 3D MX3000™ Final Vision Inspection systems and sensor kits for memory modules. Additional MX3000 orders of $1.5 million were received earlier in the first quarter of 2022, bringing our current backlog of 2D and 3D MX products to $5.0 million. These orders are presently scheduled to be recognized as revenue primarily in the second and third quarters of 2022. Sales of inspection and metrology systems are forecasted to post strong year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2022.
CyberOptics’ backlog at December 31, 2021 totaled a record $47.3 million, up from $44.2 million at the end of the third quarter of 2021 and $23.0 million at the end of 2020. The company is forecasting sales of $22.0 to $24.0 million for the first quarter of 2022 ending March 31, compared to $17.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. CyberOptics expects to report strong operating results in the first quarter of 2022, based on the continuation of favorable market conditions and shipments from its order backlog of 3D MRS based sensor and system products.
