Spares and services
A strategic engine for growth and innovation
Allen D’Ambra, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Services and Spares, shares how services and spares have evolved from a transactional support function into a strategic engine for growth and innovation.
In the semiconductor industry, spares and services have traditionally been perceived as a transactional support function, focused on keeping tools operational and resolving issues as they arise. At ASM, that’s not the case! Spares and services have evolved into a strategic capability that directly supports customer performance, enables innovation, and contributes to sustainable business growth.
This evolution reflects a broader industry reality: as processes become more complex and precision requirements increase, the way spares and services are designed and delivered has a direct impact on fab efficiency and output.
From support to outcome-based services
ASM’s spares and services strategy centers on outcome-based services. Rather than a focus on transactional operations, the emphasis is on measurable customer outcomes such as uptime, performance consistency, and reduced cost of ownership.
These services are underpinned by deep equipment knowledge and close collaboration with customers. By aligning service models with operational realities on the fab floor, ASM supports customers not only when issues occur, but throughout the full lifecycle of the equipment.
Complete Kit Management
A prime example of this approach is ASM’s Complete Kit Management (CKM). CKM brings structure and predictability to spare part replacement by grouping multiple components into standardized, pre-qualified kits.
Instead of managing tool parts individually, customers receive complete kits with multiple tool parts that are refurbished, tested, and ready for use. This reduces maintenance complexity, shortens service time, and minimizes the risk of missing or incorrectly-installed components.
For customers, it translates into faster interventions, more reliable tool performance, higher wafer quality and reduced cost of ownership. For ASM, CKM enables more consistent quality, improved planning, scalable service delivery across regions and sustainability benefits: instead of defaulting to new parts, CKM prioritizes the repair, refurbishment, and cleaning of used components for reuse.
Automation at the point of use
As semiconductor tools become more advanced, the manual placement of spares on the tool itself increasingly becomes a limiting factor. Automation in spares and services directly addresses this challenge.
By introducing robotic systems with closed-loop vision technology, ASM improves accuracy, repeatability, and speed during maintenance and replacement activities. This is particularly critical in environments where micron-level precision is required and even small deviations can affect process stability or yield.
Looking ahead
The role of spares and services will continue to expand as semiconductor manufacturing pushes further into advanced nodes and tighter process windows. Reducing manual intervention, increasing consistency, and structuring services around customer outcomes will be key to supporting this evolution.
At ASM, spares and services are no longer defined by individual transactions. They are a strategic engine, supporting customer success, enabling innovation on the fab floor, and driving long-term value for both customers and the business.