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May 20, 2022 - Robert Quinn

200mm and Below, Semiconductor Equipment & Parts

Blog #006
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With the rise of the power semiconductor industry and the current shortage of automotive chips, the 200mm market has secured a foothold that is ALMOST guaranteed here to stay. But, If you had asked the average person in the industry 23 years ago what they thought of the 200mm equipment they would have told you that the 200mm market had peaked and the migration of 300mm was here to take its place, as the phasing out of 200mm equipment began. Some fabs had upgraded all their facilities and tools to only run 300mm and all the new fabs being built were set up to run 300mm equipment. Some OEMs had shut down 200mm manufacturing lines as they ramped up the 300mm manufacturing lines and they slowly phased out supporting the supply of parts on some of the older 200mm and below equipment.

We were on track to keep up with Moore's law and the increased chip demand only meant that we would continue migrating toward using 300mm equipment until about 2015 when we started to see a rebirth of the 200mm equipment demand.

Today, the number of 200mm fabs has not only increased from 65 fabs in 1995 to 216 in 2022 according to SEMI but also the demand for chips using the 6µm to the 110nm nodes using older Legacy technology is keeping the average 200mm fab running at 100% capacity. Today we have far exceeded the 200mm peak of the 90s in demand, but the only difference is that a lot of the 200mm equipment being sold is used due to the fact that many OEMs quit producing and supporting them.

A critical part of keeping any fab running is to be sure to verify that you have critical replacement parts and backup equipment to keep the manufacturing lines running when there are breakdowns, also known as equipment downs. Today, some of that equipment and those replacement parts are becoming more and more difficult to find depending on the equipment you are running. And, when you are running at 100% capacity, that makes it even more critical that your backup supply is readily available when that time comes. Today a common practice of some fabs is to purchase used equipment so that they can use it for spare parts. Other fabs search for spare parts on general-purpose marketplaces like eBay when OEMs no longer support the sale of replacement parts.

With the advent and realization that the 200mm market is here to stay, and grow, many OEMs and fabs are carefully evaluating how this industry will move forward as they realize that the current methods are not sustainable to support the future growth of the 200mm market. Some rumors have surfaced that many OEMs may look at the possibility of bringing back some select 200mm equipment manufacturing lines and supporting spares for that equipment. Other options are to modify the 300mm equipment to run 200mm wafers or to refurbish older equipment.

According to Carter Hall, one long-time industry expert who specializes in the 200mm and below parts industry, the parts problem could be partly resolved through 3D printing technology.

Regardless of what the resolution is, we must come together to confront and resolve the upcoming challenges so o that we can continue providing semiconductor chips to the world.

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  • 블로그 게시 이미지
    Large US Refurbisher Finds Buyer for Top of the Market Tool Through Moov

    At a Glance

    The Moov Difference

    While competitors typically take an average of one month (and some up to 6) to pay a seller for a tool, this refurbisher received payment 1 day after the contract was signed through Moov’s global marketplace.

    Services Provided

    • Secured buyer through global marketplace
    • Managed logistics
    • Payments
    • Real-time GPS tracking and environmental monitoring

    Background

    A large US refurbisher had entered into a deal with an end user for a top of market tool. However, when the end user was acquired, the deal fell through leaving the refurbisher with a costly asset on their books. When the refurbisher finally turned to Moov, they had already been paying storage fees for this unused asset for 9 months. The refurbisher had tried utilizing numerous brokers to offload the tool to no avail, due in part to the specific requirements of their original buyer. The refurbisher needed this asset off of their books in the new year – so they turned to Moov’s global marketplace for used semiconductor manufacturing equipment in hopes of finding a buyer.

    Solution

    After months of searching for buyers, the refurbisher was able to quickly secure an international buyer through Moov’s global marketplace. The entire process from contract through arrival, uncrating, and installation took a mere 35 days. Whatsmore, the refurbisher received payment one day after contract signing thanks to Moov’s buyer verification and payment support.

    Going the Extra Mile

    • Due to port closures, the buyer needed this tool to arrive on an exact date – a request that would typically be near impossible given the unpredictability of global logistics. However, thanks to Moov’s close relationships with global service and logistics providers, Moov was able to ensure the tool arrived on the exact date that the buyer needed it. In turn, this eliminated any headache for the refurbisher, as they were able to completely offload logistics to Moov.
    • Moov’s added-value real-time logistics and tracking portal provided complete visibility into where the tool was and in what conditions it was stored en route to the buyer. Both buyer and seller were able to rest assured that the tool was stored in proper environmental conditions during transport, and would arrive in a timely fashion and in the condition promised.
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    End User Unlocks Budget for Critical Tool by Recovering Value from Unused Assets

    At a Glance

    The Moov Difference

    Moov worked with this end user to rapidly recapitalize 11 underutilized assets in order to secure production line budget for a critical tool they needed.

    Services Provided

    • Managed Sales
    • Managed Procurement

    Background

    A production line team at a US manufacturer needed an ICP downstream asher but only had partial funding to acquire this system. Knowing Moov’s marketplace offers the largest selection of pre-owned tools from reliable suppliers, they turned to Moov to explore their options.

    Solution

    After consulting with Moov’s team of experts with over $1bn in experience helping manufacturers recoup capital on idle and underutilized assets, this manufacturer identified several idle systems they could sell through Moov’s global marketplace. The manufacturer was able to rapidly sell 11 tools in order to gain the capital they needed to acquire a YES Ecoclean system.

    Going the Extra Mile

    Moov was able to work with this manufacturer to ensure that capital from the sales of their used assets went back to a specific fabrication center and production line budget — ensuring this production line team had the funding they needed to acquire their plasma resist strip/descum system.

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    High Volume Wafer Fab Resolves Implant Bottleneck Through Moov

    AT A GLANCE

    The Moov Difference

    The end-to-end process of procuring a replacement tool, deinstallation, crating, air freight, rigging and installation would typically take 6 months. Through Moov, the entire process only took 4 weeks, enabling this fabrication center to minimize revenue loss when a critical machine went down.

    Services Provided

    • Managed service procurement
    • Parts
    • Deinstallation, crating
    • Air freight
    • Installation, rigging
    • Flexible payment options

    Background

    A high volume wafer fabrication center in the western US was already in the market for a new ion implanter. When a second tool went down, their situation shifted from “opportunistic” to “critical.” Their senior facilities manager reached out to Moov to learn how they could expedite procuring a VIISion 200 replacement through Moov’s global marketplace.

    Solution

    Moov’s experienced managed service team quickly identified a tool from an international supplier that matched this fabrication center’s exact requirements. Thanks to Moov’s ecosystem of aftermarket service providers, Moov was able to provide an end-to-end solution for not only procuring the tool but also deinstallation, crating, air freight, rigging and installation. This process would typically take up to 6 months, but Moov was able to provide a 4-week solution to help this fabrication center get back up and running.

    Going the Extra Mile

    • Knowing this fabrication center needed to avoid any further delays, Moov proactively sourced the exact model of pump the fab needed, at a discount, from a refurbisher partner, to ensure the client was able to get their new implanter up and running smoothly.

    • Since the process of procuring and delivering this replacement system moved so fast, it took longer for payment to process than it did to ship and install the tool itself. Thanks to Moov’s flexible payment options, the team was able to accommodate expedited delivery while still ensuring the seller was paid in a timely fashion.

  • 블로그 게시 이미지
    2022 Semiconductor industry review

    In 2022, the semiconductor industry faced challenges including slowing sales growth and tensions in the global supply chain. However, the industry also saw record levels of investment in research and development by U.S. companies and the passage of the CHIPS Act, which provides incentives for domestic chip manufacturing, bringing total business Private Investments for U.S. Semiconductor Production to over 200 billion dollars. The US CHIPS Act has already prompted new commitments to construct manufacturing facilities in the US, and it is expected to create jobs and drive economic investment. The Act provides $52 billion in funding for a range of technologies, including large-scale fabrication facilities and projects for current-generation chips, new and specialty technologies, and manufacturing equipment and material suppliers. It also includes a 25% advanced manufacturing investment tax credit. In addition to manufacturing incentives, the CHIPS Act also focuses on research and development, with $13 billion in funding to foster collaboration between government, industry, academia, and other stakeholders and to develop the pipeline of scientists and engineers necessary to fuel future innovation in the semiconductor industry. The Act establishes several programs to support R&D, including the National Semiconductor Technology Center, the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and the CHIPS Defense Fund. Other countries that have implemented their own chips acts include Europe, Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Japan, with hundreds of billions of dollars added to the global investment in semiconductor manufacturing and research. Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain for the semiconductor industry, including developing a skilled workforce, maintaining leadership in chip design, and maintaining access to global markets and supply chains. To overcome these challenges, it is essential for the industry to maintain a strong partnership with local governments and other key players, to ensure that the industry is able to meet the increasing demand for semiconductors.