ON Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Facility

ON Semiconductor, driving innovation in energy efficiency, has announced that its Burlington, Canada advanced packaging facility has received ISO 13485:2003 certification, the international quality management system standard for the design and manufacture of medical devices. The 95,000-square-foot purpose-built plant, which employs 135 people, specializes in the design and manufacturing of highly miniaturized System-in-Package (SiP) custom assemblies for use in implantable and body-worn medical devices.

"Miniaturization is a key trend in medical devices; by integrating multiple die and discrete components manufactured with diverse technologies in a stacked architecture, significant space savings and improved system performance is achieved," said Robert Tong, vice president of ON Semiconductor's Medical Division. "Manufacturers designing applications such as hearing aids, continuous blood glucose monitors and implantable defibrillators are constantly challenged to find new ways to further reduce the size of their devices, driving demand for innovative packaging approaches."

ISO 13485 focuses on risk management and design control during product development; specific requirements for inspection and traceability for implantable devices; and for verification of the effectiveness of corrective and preventative actions. During the certification auditing process, ON Semiconductor had zero "non-conformances" and zero "areas of concern" throughout the design, development, production, sales and service areas of the Burlington facility's operations.

The ISO 13485 certification complements ON Semiconductor's existing quality certifications that include ISO/TS 16949, ISO 9001, AS 9100, ISO 14001, MIL-PRF-38535, QML, C-TPAT and STACK.

"This certification validates our company's quality management system, commitment to the medical market and processes for the design and manufacture of highly miniaturized System-in-Packages (SiPs) demanded by the medical industry," commented Keenan Evans, senior vice president of Quality at ON Semiconductor. "This milestone affirms our commitment to satisfy prevailing quality requirements and compliance to applicable regulations and gives additional confidence to customers who know they have partnered with an organization that is certified in delivering high-quality advanced packaging solutions through a well-defined quality system."

SanDisk to Begin Fab 5 Construction

SanDisk Corp. announces that the construction of the phase two shell of the Fab 5 joint venture wafer fabrication facility located in Yokkaichi, Japan, will begin in August 2013, with expected completion in mid-2014.

SanDisk expects to use phase two of Fab 5 primarily for technology transitions of existing Yokkaichi wafer capacity. The new cleanroom will provide the space needed for additional equipment required for transitioning the wafer capacity in Fab 3, Fab 4, and phase one of Fab 5, to next generation 2D NAND technologies and to early generations of 3D NAND technology.

Fab 5 will have an earthquake-absorbing structure and is designed to minimize environmental impact. Extensive use of LED lighting throughout the facility and up-to-date energy-saving production facilities, along with full and effective use of waste heat, are expected to reduce CO2 emissions to a level 13 percent lower than for Fab 4.

SanDisk Corp. is a provider of flash memory storage solutions, from research and development, product design, and manufacturing, to branding and distribution for commercial and retail channels. The company is based in Silicon Valley.

Fairchild Opens 8-in Wafer Fab Line in South Korea

Fairchild Semiconductor has opened the door of its eight-inch wafer fabrication line in Bucheon, South Korea. The facility, completed ahead of schedule, began production on July 1. The official ceremony marking its opening was held July 10. According to the firm, the facility aims to develop energy management solution for various worldwide applications.

The addition of the Korea fab increases the flexibility and cost competitiveness of Fairchild's supply chain to better serve the fast-moving Asian mobile handset market, as well as to leverage the region's leadership in energy efficient electronics such as LED backlighting, LCD TVs and consumer appliances.

"Since our purchase of the Bucheon site in 1999, Fairchild has invested nearly $800 million in our Korean facilities," said Vijay Ullal, president and COO of Fairchild. "The new eight-inch Fab is a sign of our commitment to the Korean and greater Asian markets. The execution during the start-up of this fab has been flawless and we look forward to carrying this momentum into further delighting our customers."

An additional benefit of the fab investment has been the anticipated increase in workforce and contribution to the economic development of the region.

Key technologies outlined for production at the fab include high-voltage discrete products, targeted at the fast growing energy efficient, power management applications such as power supply, display, motor control, industrial power and lighting.

The addition of the Korea Fab increases the flexibility and cost competitiveness of Fairchild's supply chain to better serve the fast-moving Asian mobile handset market, as well as to leverage the region's leadership in energy efficient electronics such as LED backlighting, LCD TVs and consumer appliances.

"This eight-inch Fab is a critical step in the evolution of Fairchild's supply chain becoming the best-in-class in power semiconductors," said Ben Kang, Managing Director, Fairchild Korea, of Fairchild on how the Fab contributes to the company's strategic plan. "We are excited by the opportunity to better serve our customers."

Key technologies outlined for production at the Fab include high-voltage discrete products, targeted at the fast growing energy efficient, power management applications such as power supply, display, motor control, industrial power and lighting.

As an application-driven, solution-based semiconductor supplier, Fairchild will continue to provide worldwide support as part of its comprehensive commitment to customer satisfaction.

Scifiniti Raises $10 Million for Wafer Technology

Scifiniti has raised $10 million in Series B funding from its investors in order to bring its first product, SmartWafer, to market. SmartWafer is an ultra-low cost, drop-in replacement photovoltaic silicon wafer.

SmartWafer has been engineered specifically for solar cell manufacturing, unlike traditional wafers that have been adapted from the semiconductor industry. It uses a thin, deposited, high-quality silicon layer on a conductive substrate, offering the same form-factor as a standard wafer enabling a “drop-in” replacement. Cell and module manufacturers will be able to use the SmartWafer without any changes to existing processes and without the need to purchase new capital equipment. SmartWafer reduces silicon use by more than 90 percent and helps to improve yields by reducing wafer breakage rate compared to conventional wafers.

Scifiniti is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

Toshiba Expanding Semiconductor Fab

Toshiba Corp. announces that it will expand its No. 5 semiconductor fabrication facility (Fab 5) at Yokkaichi Operations in Mie, Japan, to secure manufacturing space for NAND flash memories fabricated with next generation process technology and for future 3D memories. Fab 5 second phase construction will start at the end of August this year and be completed in summer 2014. Decisions on equipment investment and production will reflect market trends.

Yokkaichi Operations currently has three Fabs mass-producing NAND flash memory, including Fab 5 phase 1. Fab 5's construction was planned around two phases, the first of which went into operation in July 2011. Toshiba will also use Fab 5 phase 2 for production of 3D memories.

Fab 5 phase 2 will have an automated product transportation system and quake-absorbing structure and will be designed to minimize environmental loads. Deployment of LED lighting and energy-saving production facilities, along with full and effective use of waste heat, are expected to cut CO₂ emissions by 13 percent compared with Fab 4.

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