SEC/N Thoughts

SEMATECH is a consortium of semiconductor manufacturers originally created to reinvigorate the U.S. semiconductor industry through cooperative efforts in research. In recent years, several international companies joined the organization, and the name was changed to International SEMATECH (ISMT, Austin, Texas). Members include Agere Systems, AMD, Hewlett-Packard, Hynix, IBM, Infineon Technologies, Intel, Motorola, Philips, STMicroelectronics, TSMC and Texas Instruments.

The SEMATECH Surplus Equipment Council (SSEC) was formed in 1991 to address common issues affecting the semiconductor surplus equipment market. Initial meetings of the SSEC revealed that very little information was available regarding the purchase and sale of surplus equipment, and that the process was not well-defined. Over the years, the SSEC has invited OEMs, refurbishers, brokers and service companies to SSEC meetings to help the members better understand the opportunities and challenges of the secondary market. In the process of doing so, many visiting companies have also received a valuable education on the expectations of their customers.

One of the most recent outcomes of the SSEC's synergistic efforts was publication of a white paper that addresses the topics of intellectual property (software and spare parts), service, refurbishment, standards/guidelines and continuous improvement as they pertain to the semiconductor used equipment business. Specific information on the SSEC's white paper can be found at www.sematech.org/public/resources/srac.

To the best of our knowledge, the SSEC was the first coordinated effort within the semiconductor industry to address the purchase and sale of used equipment. However, resource limitations and the inherent scope of ISMT precluded the SSEC from being able to totally fulfill its vision for the industry. In 1998, SEC/N was established to promote ethics, professionalism and education in the semiconductor used equipment industry around the world. Many of the initiatives that SEC/N is championing today grew out of the SSEC's efforts over the past 11 years. Both organizations continue to work together for the good of the industry