Refurbishment of ASML lithography control units
ASML systems are designed for long operational lifetimes, with many lithography systems remaining in use for decades. To support this long lifecycle approach, Neways partners with ASML on the refurbishment and upgrade of electrical control units for wafer steppers and wafer scanners.
By combining repair, testing, upgrade and requalification capabilities, Neways helps extend the lifetime of critical systems while upgrading them to the latest specifications for re-use in advanced semiconductor manufacturing environments.
Challenges
Refurbishing and upgrading electrical control units for advanced lithography systems requires deep system knowledge, highly controlled repair processes and extensive testing capabilities. The challenge is not only to restore existing systems, but also to upgrade them to current performance and qualification standards without compromising reliability.
To achieve this, Neways disassembles electrical control units down to individual component level. Components are inspected, repaired and tested individually using dedicated detection equipment, software and data analysis tools specifically developed for these applications.
Because Neways is involved across multiple generations of ASML wafer scanners, the teams are able to upgrade and requalify systems according to the latest specifications and operational requirements. After refurbishment and validation, the systems are reassembled into fully qualified “as-new” power units ready for reintroduction into the field.
Key results
The refurbishment and upgrade activities enable ASML to significantly extend the operational lifetime of advanced lithography systems while maintaining the performance and reliability levels required in semiconductor manufacturing.
Using dedicated re-use teams, specialized tooling and a global operational footprint, Neways has successfully refurbished and upgraded a substantial number of control cabinets to “as-new” condition.
Compared to newly manufactured systems, refurbishment and upgrade activities can reduce lead times by up to 50% while supporting more sustainable use of critical semiconductor equipment.
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