Continuously optimizing the value of an installed base of semiconductor manufacturing equipment

Abstract

As the semiconductor industry matures, equipment manufacturers need to change their focus on the way they approach their customers. In the more mature segments of the semiconductor equipment industry, technology is no longer the main industry driver. Instead, equipment manufacturers need to provide customized solutions that enable their customers to maximize the value of their installed base of wafer fab equipment for their specific situation. ASML started its Installed Base Solutions (IBS) program to better provide owners of mature equipment with the products and services they need. We are working with customers to get a better understanding of how their requirements change throughout both the lifecycle of the equipment as well as the market cycles of the semiconductor industry. This understanding of our customers' requirements led us to design and develop a portfolio of products and services that can be combined to produce solutions that help customers to continuously maximize the value generated by their installed base. This portfolio of products and services provides the elements needed to create complete solutions that extend beyond equipment and operational services. The products and services in the portfolio focus on the optimal use of lithography equipment in actual production processes. To achieve such solutions, a close relationship with the participating equipment users is essential. Results obtained using this approach - focussing on the optimal use of lithography equipment in actual production processes - indicate that we can generate significant additional value potential in all of the fabs that we considered.