Terms and Conditions (Last modified on 31 Dec 2010)

1. The Semiconductor Product Analysis and Design Enhancement Center (herein referred to as "the SPADE Center") reserves all rights to accept or reject users' job requests.
2. When submitting online job requests, all users are required to provide sufficient and accurate details concerning those job requests. If the users fail to provide such details, the SPADE Center may not be able to provide such kinds of service, or the time duration needed to provide such kinds of service may be longer than usual. Full charges will be imposed on the reserved time slots even if the job requests are beyond the capability of the SPADE Center.
3. Any kind of job request to the SPADE Center must be submitted online. Successful reservations of job requests will only be confirmed by e-mail notification.
4. All reservations of job requests will be confirmed on first come first serve basis.
5. No telephone booking will be entertained by the SPADE Center.
6. All users, upon their presence, must comply with the Codes of Practice in SPADE Center.
7. All users who have chosen to operate the equipment by themselves must have attended and passed the equipment training course before they are authorized to use that equipment.
8. Users shall be liable for any kind of property loss or equipment damage of the SPADE Center directly or indirectly arising from their mishandling of the SPADE Center's equipment.
9. All users are not allowed to modify any equipment setup or system parameters (such as calibration data) of any equipment in the SPADE Center without prior permission from the SPADE Center's staff. Users who fail to comply shall be liable for all costs for restoring the equipment back to normal working condition.
10. All users must, upon their presence, sign in the log book after their job requests have been completed.
11. All users must agree and accept the SPADE Center charging scheme as listed on the SPADE Center's homepage.
12. In the event of late arrivals, early withdrawals or "no shows", the full duration of the time slot reserved will be charged.
13. Charges will be imposed for the period of time when the equipment is standing idle while being reserved by the customers for their use.
14. All time-in and time-out entries recorded on the log book shall be referenced solely to the wall clock of the SPADE Center.
15. All users must stop using the equipment or service beyond their reserved time slots unless there is no other job request immediately following their reserved time slots.
16. Cancellation of confirmed job request will only be accepted via online booking cancellation. No telephone cancellation will be accepted.
17. If cancellation of confirmed job request is submitted online at 4 office hours or earlier before the commencement of reserved time slot, no charge will be imposed on the reservation. If cancellation of confirmed job request is submitted online at less than 4 office hours and before the commencement of the reserved time slot, then only the equipment rental charge (counting from the commencement of the reserved time slot up to a maximum of 4 office hours) will be imposed to customer. Moreover, the equipment will be released for booking by other customers during the original reserved time period.
18. The SPADE Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (herein referred to as "HKUST" and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology R and D Corporation Limited (herein referred to as "RDC") shall not be liable to the users for any failure to carry out any job request which is attributable, wholly or in part, to any cause beyond the SPADE Center's control including any mechanical failure, power failure, malfunction, breakdown, interruption or inadequacy of equipment or installation and under no circumstances shall the SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC be responsible to the users for any indirect or consequential losses arising out of or in connection with carrying out or otherwise of any job requests.
19. The use of the results and deliverables of the job request will be left to the discretion of the users. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC shall not be responsible for any claims or liabilities associated, either directly or indirectly, with the use of any results and deliverables arising from the job request by the users, its subsidiaries, affiliates, associates, agents, or any other parties. The results and deliverables of the job request are provided to users on an "AS IS" basis. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose and accepts no liability with respect to the usage and commercialization of the results and deliverables of the job request.
20. All users should demonstrate respect for intellectual property, ownership of data and information, system security mechanisms and the individual's right to privacy. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC are not aware of any infringement with respect to any third-party rights and title, including patent and intellectual property rights, with regard to the results and deliverables of the job requests, but make no warranty in this regard.
21. All users should remove their confidential information from the SPADE Center after completion of job requests. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC shall not be liable for any indirect or consequential losses arising out of or in connection with such confidential information.
22. All users must agree that should they request for sample return service, the SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC shall not be responsible for any sample damage or property loss during shipment.
23. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC shall not be liable for any failure or delay to provide any service due (directly or indirectly) to any causes beyond its control.
24. The SPADE Center, HKUST and RDC shall not be liable for any loss of any kind or any damage to any property of any users, upon their presence, in the SPADE Center.
25. No failure or delay by the SPADE Center in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.
26. Users shall not under any circumstance use the name of the SPADE Center, HKUST or RDC or any of their employees in advertising, publicity, or in any manner, without the express written permission of RDC.
27. These Terms and Conditions may, at the SPADE Center's sole discretion, be changed from time to time upon giving the user prior notice by way of display on the SPADE Center's homepage or by such other method as the SPADE Center may decide.
28. If any provision hereof shall be declared or adjudged to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under any applicable law, such illegality, invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any of the other provisions hereof, which shall remain in full force, validity and effect.
29. The SPADE Center reserves the right of explanation to the above Terms and Conditions.

Note: In case of discrepancies between the English and Chinese versions, the English version shall apply and prevail.

Terms and Conditions (Traditional Chinese version)
Terms and Conditions (Simplified Chinese version)



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I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions stated above.

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