Quality and compliance for used semiconductor equipment

What quality means for a used tool

For a refurbished semiconductor tool, quality is mostly about evidence. You need to know what state the tool is in, what was changed, whether it is safe to install, and whether it can legally be shipped to you. We cannot give a used tool a new history, but we can document every step we take so that your EHS officer, facility manager and purchasing department have what they need.

This page describes the standards we work to and the records we keep. It does not list certificates, because we do not claim any that we do not hold.

Safety standards we work to

Semiconductor equipment safety is usually assessed against SEMI guidelines and, in the EU, against machinery law. We work to the following during refurbishment and installation:

• SEMI S2, the environmental, health and safety guideline for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It covers electrical safety, interlocks, chemical and gas handling, exhaust, radiation and emergency stops.
• SEMI S8, the ergonomics guideline for semiconductor equipment, relevant when we change loading heights, controls or operator interfaces.
• The EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, which replaces the directive from 20 January 2027. A substantial modification of a used machine can bring new conformity obligations, so we flag in the quote when a planned upgrade might count as one.

We do not certify tools to these standards. We work to them, record what we checked, and can help you document the result for your own approval process.

Interlocks and safety circuits

Interlocks on older tools are often bypassed, removed or undocumented by the time a tool reaches the used market. During inspection we test every emergency stop, door interlock and gas or vacuum interlock we can identify, and list in the report anything found bypassed or missing. Restoring safety circuits is part of every refurbishment scope; it is not an optional extra.

Decontamination

Process tools that ran toxic, corrosive or pyrophoric chemistries must be decontaminated before anyone opens them for service or transport. Typical examples are implanters and diffusion tools that handled dopant gases, CVD tools that ran silane or chlorinated precursors, and etch tools that ran chlorine or bromine chemistries.

We ask sellers for the process history and a decontamination declaration before we accept a tool. Where needed, we clean or replace contaminated parts under our decontamination service and document the method, the parts treated and how residues were disposed of. Tools without a credible process history are handled as contaminated until shown otherwise.

Export controls

Some semiconductor equipment is controlled under the EU dual-use Regulation (EU) 2021/821, and tools of US origin can also fall under the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Controls depend on the tool type, its specification, the destination and the end user. Before we confirm a sale for export, we:

• classify the tool against the applicable control lists,
• screen the buyer and end user against sanctions lists,
• tell you if a licence is likely to be required and how that affects the delivery date.

Our export compliance page sets out the policy in full, and our article on export controls for used semiconductor equipment explains the practical side for buyers.

Records you receive

For every tool we sell, the documentation pack includes, as applicable:

• The inspection report and condition grade, as described on how we inspect
• A list of parts replaced and work performed
• The interlock and safety circuit check results
• Decontamination records for the tool and its parts
• Electrical and facility requirements for installation
• Test process results for Certified tools
• Export classification notes for shipments leaving the EU

What we will not do

We will not describe a part as original manufacturer stock unless it is, present ourselves as an authorised service partner of any manufacturer, or ship a tool whose decontamination status we cannot document. If a tool fails one of these tests, we tell you, and we either fix the gap or do not offer the tool.