VLSI Research releases 10 Best semiconductor capital equipment suppliers
07/01/1997
VLSI Research releases 10 Best semiconductor capital equipment suppliers
The 10 Best awards in customer satisfaction are presented annually by VLSI Research Inc. to each 10 Best company in the categories of test and material handling equipment, process diagnostic equipment, small suppliers of wafer processing equipment, large suppliers of wafer processing equipment, and assembly and specialty equipment.
This year has been a tough one for semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers. The velocity with which the market has been operating has made it difficult for suppliers to meet customer demands, resulting in lower ratings in this year`s Customer Satisfaction Survey for Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment. Approximately 3400 capital equipment users from around the world filled out the survey.
Test and material handling equipment (Table 1). The average overall rating inthe category is 7.39 (out of a perfect 10). Ratings are highest in quality-of-results and uptime. Software support is still lagging behind as the area in most need of improvement.
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Integrated Measurement Systems Inc. has regained its lead position this year with a rating of 8.36. Advantest and Teradyne Inc. deserve notice for having appeared among the 10 Best for nine straight years. Hewlett-Packard Co. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. appear in two 10 Best categories: Hewlett-Packard has also achieved the lead position in the 10 Best process diagnostic suppliers; while Tokyo Electron also appears in the 10 Best large suppliers of wafer processing equipment. Ando Electric Co. Ltd. appears in the 10 Best for the first time this year.
Process diagnostic equipment (Table 2). Suppliers of process diagnostic equipment that have been in the customer satisfaction forefront have maintained their 10 Best status, although there is shifting in their rankings. The 10th award was withheld in this segment because there were insufficient qualifying returns on the remaining suppliers.
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The overall average rating is slightly lower than last year, at 7.05. Ratings are highest in uptime and quality-of-results. Software support and service-after-sales continue to be the lowest rated categories. Hewlett-Packard takes the top honors with a rating of 7.53. KLA Instruments Corp. has appeared in the 10 Best nine times.
Small suppliers of wafer processing equipment (Table 3).
There is room for competition in this category. The overall average rating is the lowest of all segments this year, at 6.99. Ratings are highest in quality-of-results and product performance. Consistent with all 10 Best market segments, customers rate software support the lowest.
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After its first appearance in the 10 Best last year, AST elektronik GmbH has moved into the lead position this year with an overall rating of 7.93. Ultratech Stepper deserves notice for having appeared in the 10 Best for the fifth time. Semitool Inc. is a newcomer to the 10 Best this year.
Large suppliers of wafer processing equipment (Table 4). American suppliers have regained strength in this category after losses to Japanese manufacturers last year.
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The average overall rating for wafer processing supplies with sales >$300 million is 7.31, slightly higher than last year`s rating. These suppliers have earned their highest marks in quality-of-results, uptime, and product performance. As in previous years, software support still shows the most room for improvement.
After receiving the "Most Notably Improved Supplier" award in 1995 and joining the 10 Best in 1996, Varian Associates has leapt into the lead position this year. In addition, it has achieved the highest overall process rating since the inception of the survey - 8.06. Lam ResearchCorp. is among the 10 Best for nine straight years. Silicon Valley Group has earned its first appearance in the 10 Best this year.
Suppliers of assembly and specialty equipment (Table 5). Suppliers in this category have again achieved the highest overall average rating of all 10 Best segments this year, 8.32. Ratings are highest in product performance and quality-of-results.
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Customers rank ALPHASEM AG in the lead assembly and specialty position as well as the grand ranking among all 10 Best companies for the third year in a row. Its 1997 rating is 9.48, the highest in the history of the 10 Best. Orthodyne Electronics has achieved the second highest rating ever of 8.86. This year also marks ESEC SA`s eighth straight year in the 10 Best.
Most notably improved supplier. This award is presented to ASM Lithography for having made the greatest improvement in customer satisfaction ratings over the past year. ASM Lithography has gained 0.66 points in this year`s rating, to 7.95. The company just missed a 10 Best placement due to insufficient qualifying returns. Its improvements have been earned by providing increased support to overseas customers. This includes on-site technical service capabilities in Korea and a new training center in Taiwan. ASM Lithography deserves accolades for its improvements, as they have occurred concurrently with sales growth of 37%.
Anelva Corp. and FSI International are runners-up for the Most Notably Improved Supplier Award. Anelva, which supplies CVD and dry processing equipment, increased 0.5 points, while FSI International, which supplies resist and dry processing equipment, increased 0.16 points.
Survey methodology. VLSI Research sent out more than 37,000 questionnaires in six languages to semiconductor companies worldwide. Users of semiconductor capital equipment were asked to rate their suppliers in eight categories that exemplify a supplier`s relationship with its customers: product performance, uptime, and quality of results; and process support, software support, technical leadership, service after sales, and the vendor`s overall commitment to supporting its customers` needs.
More than 3400 evaluations of each of these eight categories, accruing to a grand total in excess of 27,000 individual ratings of companies, were returned and used in compiling these results. Demographic distribution of the returns was 47.3% from North America, 20% from Europe, 17.4% from Japan, 10.7% from elsewhere in Asia, 4% from Korea, and 0.6% from other areas of the world.
For more information on the survey, contact VLSI Research Inc., 1754 Technology Dr., Suite 117, San Jose, CA 95110; ph 408/453-8844, fax 408/437-0608.