When it comes to semiconductor quality standards the automotive industry continues to lead the way in quality and service requirements. Long operating times e.g. battery charging time, car sharing solutions and high complex electronics for ADAS applications drives the need for rugged solutions ending in increasing requirements for semiconductor components which will be reflected in the next releases of the AEC-Q requirements. With the Q-portfolio, Nexperia has stepped up the standard of quality and service for diodes, bipolar transistors and ESD protection devices to match the rising demands of automotive, industrial and mobile customers and meet increasing regulatory requirements.
The AEC-Q100/Q101 and ISO/TS16949 automotive quality standards have been the industry benchmark for discrete and integrated semiconductors. The focus of these standards has been on meeting the Stress Test Qualification and quality management system requirements of automotive OEMs. However, customer demands continue to evolve, and more non-automotive customers require additional quality related services such as PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) and longer longevity. To address these demands Nexperia has made the decision to split our portfolio of diodes, bipolar transistors and ESD protection products into ‘Standard’ and ‘Q-portfolio’ devices.
Improving service standards
In many ways this brings the diodes, bipolar transistors and ESD protection devices in line with our dedicated Q100 Logic portfolio and BUK family of MOSFETs. However, the key differentiator between ‘Standard’ and ‘’Q-portfolio’ devices lies in the service level that comes with the different portfolios. For example, in terms of Product Change Notifications (PCN) the standard family will only offer 90 days notification in line with the JEDEC requirements. Whereas with Q-portfolio devices, this can be extended up to 2x JEDEC or 180 days based on customer feedback (e.g. sample requests, documentation requests, technical questions).
In addition, with our Q-portfolio devices you automatically benefit from the adoption of the latest automotive industry quality standards. Services such as the customer support team handling PPAP requests and pre-mould Advanced Optical Inspection (AOI) will be offered as standard. While special AOI requirements can also be implemented based on specific customer requests.
Long term benefits
Nexperia understands that switching to the new Q-portfolio requires some effort, but our customer service team will support the transition and we believe the longer-term benefits add significant value. All parts are supported with a longevity of minimum 10 years and come with a shelf life of more than two years. There will be greater investments and focus on performance enhancements and new innovations within the Q-portfolio, such as the drive towards zero delamination to enhance product reliability.
