Ali Hasan
Choosing a semiconductor equipment manufacturer is not an easy task. Not all manufacturers are able to meet specific needs, and few provide exceptional customer service. Before choosing who to work with, create a list of potential candidates and use the essential criteria listed below to determine which is the most qualified.
1. Availability of Support Services
It’s never wise to sign a contract with a supplier before evaluating the company’s ability to provide ongoing support for their products. When it comes to support for semiconductor equipment manufacturers, the most important thing to consider is whether the company handles customer questions and complaints in-house or outsources them to subcontractors.
Companies that can provide comprehensive, in-house troubleshooting and support services are usually staffed by experts in the field. Those that rely on third-party service providers may not be as well-equipped to handle technical issues as they come up.
2. Warranty Policies
Anyone tasked with choosing a semiconductor equipment manufacturer should check the warranty policy before signing on the dotted line. It should be comprehensive and straightforward, and all new equipment should be protected for at least one year.
There is a good reason that this article lists warranty policies beneath support services. Without a solid team of in-house service professionals, even the most robust warranty won’t do the buyer much good.
3. Customization Capabilities
Whether companies need to upgrade lines or replace old equipment, they should work with manufacturers that can customize products to meet their specific requirements. More often than not, newly purchased equipment is used to retrofit older systems, which means it must be able to interface with whatever system is already in place. In many cases, that requires the customization of the new machines.
Semiconductor equipment manufacturers should also be able to internally customize their machines with specific features on an as-needed basis. Check the company’s reputation to see how well it has handled other customers’ requests for customization.
4. Equipment Reliability
Semiconductor equipment needs to stay online for prolonged periods with minimal downtime, which means it must be very reliable. It can be hard to determine whether a specific piece of equipment will be able to meet rigorous application requirements from the company’s literature, alone.
When in doubt, request references and follow up on them to find out about their experiences. Most reputable companies will also be happy to furnish logbooks and detailed information on scheduled downtime obtained from prior installations.
5. A Proven Track Record
Semiconductor equipment suppliers should have a proven track record of successful installations. It’s common for manufacturers to get set up, run for a few years, then shut down, which can make it impossible to get support for their products.
Make sure the company chosen has been around for a while. The years of experience will improve the chances that customers will get what they are paying for, and established companies are less likely to go under all of a sudden.
Start the Search Today
It can take some time to find the right semiconductor equipment manufacturer, so start the process early. After making a list of potential suppliers, narrow it down using the criteria described above, then call whichever companies have made it through this process unscathed to request quotes or discuss specific requirements. Narrowing down the list first will save a lot of time.
