Second life for semi equipment

02/01/2009

By Hank Hogan

A growing number of companies are seeking buyers for surplus semiconductor wafer-processing gear. At the same time, others have to replace or change tools. The former’s plight could be a windfall for the latter.

However, reaping that benefit takes work, with attention to equipment decontamination, decommissioning, and refurbishing. Gary Alexander was executive director of the Surplus Equipment Consortium Network, or SEC/N, before its acquisition late last year by the trade organization SEMI (San Jose, CA). He notes that secondary equipment transactions are complicated, a fact often overlooked.

“For the most part, companies historically have tended to underestimate the importance and challenges associated with buying and selling secondhand equipment,” says Alexander.

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