ASMI, Comdisco to Finance Equipment

Electronic News, Feb 15, 1999

BILTHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS -- ASM International NV last week entered into a long-term equipment financing arrangement with Comdisco Inc., the U.S. technology services company. The relationship is intended to provide ASMI with what it called "attractive financing" for its evaluation and demonstration equipment.

Comdisco and ASM have entered into a master rental agreement to establish a contractual infrastructure for future transactions. Following a thorough technical and marketing audit on ASMI's Advance 400 vertical furnace family, ASM Europe entered into eight individual equipment lease agreements with Comdisco Netherlands. Four of these agreements are for the 200-millimeter (8-inch) generation of this wafer processing equipment and the other four agreements relate to the new 300mm generation.

Steve Pearson, northern European sales manager for Comdisco electronics group, said, "ASM has a reputation for technically advanced products and we are pleased to be associated with a company of this caliber. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with ASM."

Hans Wunderl, ASM Europe's general manager, stated that he was "very pleased with Comdisco's participation with our equipment and, in particular, with the extension of the master rental agreement to the 300mm version, the Advance 412. The practical approach of Comdisco to our needs and its industry knowledge made it a smooth transaction which looks promising for the future."

Comdisco's Electronics group is headquartered in San Diego, with capital equipment reconditioning facilities in San Jose, Calif., and Austin, Texas.

A number of capital equipment vendors have resorted to financing options in light of the long downturn in the business. ASM Lithography NV reportedly lined up outside financing for its South Korean customers so they could buy wafer steppers. Watkins-Johnson Co. recently signed an equipment financing agreement with The CIT Group (EN, The Fab Line, Jan. 11).