150 mm (6 in), 200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2010s
The ASM A400 is an automated vertical batch furnace for LPCVD, oxidation and anneal on 150 and 200 mm wafers. We inspect, refurbish and install used systems for pilot lines.
Price on request
ASM International, headquartered in the Netherlands, built the A400 as an automated vertical batch furnace for 150 and 200 mm fabs. Wafers move by robot from cassettes into a quartz boat, which an elevator raises into the vertical process tube. The A400 family remains in production use for LPCVD polysilicon, nitride and oxide, as well as oxidation and anneal, and ASM later released the A400 DUO as a successor.
A used ASM A400 suits pilot lines and small fabs that need batch thermal films with production-grade uniformity and low particle levels. For a lab running a few wafers a week, the automation and facilities overhead are usually not worth it. See thermal processing equipment for horizontal furnaces and RTP alternatives.
The A400 is configured for one wafer size per system, set by the boats, robot end-effector and cassette stations. If your line is planning a move between sizes, our post on 150 mm vs 200 mm tools for pilot lines covers the trade-offs, and our wafer size conversion page explains what changes on a tool.
The common wear points are robot drives and sensors, elevator mechanics, heater elements, quartzware on LPCVD reactors and ageing control computers.
On a dual-reactor system we inspect and report each reactor separately, since one may have run nitride for years while the other ran anneals. A reactor that will change process needs new quartzware and a gas panel review, and that cost belongs in the comparison between listings. Where a reactor is not needed, it can be left idle and purged rather than restarted.
Refurbishment includes robot recalibration and part replacement, heater and thermocouple checks or replacement, quartzware cleaning or replacement, gas line leak testing and pump service. Certified systems run test batches with thickness and uniformity in the report.
Upgrades focus on keeping the platform supportable: new control computers and storage, robot overhauls and dry pumps with modern pressure control on LPCVD reactors. For an installed A400, a preventive maintenance plan around robot and heater checks avoids most unplanned stops.
Confirm wafer size, reactor process and ceiling height before anything else. Ask for the robot and heater service history and recent thickness data. Budget for quartzware, which on a vertical LPCVD reactor is a significant cost.
Typical values for the platform. Each tool’s inspection report lists its actual configuration.
Rebuild used tools to their original specification, with a written scope and a test report.
Learn moreRetrofit older tools with new controls, light sources, pumps, wafer sizes or endpoint detection.
Learn moreKeep older process tools running with planned maintenance, repair, calibration and parts.
Learn moreMoving a process tool from one cleanroom to another, and getting it running at the new site.
Learn moreNeed a spare part for the A400? Send us the part number and we will check what we can supply.
Vertical furnaces load wafers by robot into a boat that rises into the tube, which reduces particles and gives tighter uniformity over a large batch. They need more ceiling height and are more complex to service.
A given system is set up for one wafer size through its boats, end-effectors and cassette handling. Conversion between sizes is sometimes possible and we scope it after inspection.
Only where there is a pilot line with production-like volumes and the facilities for it. For small batches and changing processes, a horizontal furnace is usually easier to run.
ASM continues to sell vertical furnaces in the A400 family, and parts for older systems are also traded on the aftermarket. SemiXperts is independent of ASM; we source parts from both channels where suitable.
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2020s
200 mm (8 in) · 1990s–2020s
150 mm (6 in) · 1980s–2000s
Temperature, stress, hydrogen content and etch resistance separate PECVD and LPCVD nitride. How to choose the process, and the tool, for your device.
When a dry pump conversion pays off on an etcher, CVD tool or evaporator, how to size the replacement and what changes in facilities and interlocks.
Substrates, tool availability, automation and facilities all change between 150 and 200 mm. How to pick a wafer size for a pilot line built on used tools.
Tell us the process, wafer size and facilities. We reply with availability, an inspection report and a refurbishment scope.