1 Renesas' Approach to Quality Assurance

Section 1 Quality Assurance



Total quality assurance system



Characteristics and

quality verification in design



Quality control in production

Process control



Reliability design

Design review



Parts and materials

control



Quality management system



Change

control



Design verification

Design of packaging structures

for devices



Environmental

control



Quality approval

system



In-process management



Reliability

engineering

Activity



Verification of

defined product quality



Production process



Quality and

reliability improvement

Failure

Data

analysis

collection



Flow of direction



Periodic reliability testing

Warehousing and

shipping management



Production quality control

and improvement



Development and

prototyping

Design



Quality data analysis



Improvement

of yields



Building

in reliability



Product quality control

and TQM promotion



Failure

physics



Testing/

inspection



Customer



Customer support

Customer

complaints

Information from

the field



Information delivery



Figure 1.1 Renesas Quality Assurance System for Semiconductor Devices

Quality control in the design stage builds the specifications and quality of the product. It focuses

on optimization and review of structures, materials, circuit design, packaging, and production

processes. For each product type, prototypes are fabricated to verify characteristics and reliability

before mass production begins.

Quality control in the production stage builds quality during the production process. It is used to

manage the quality of manufacturing equipment, jigs and tools, air and water cleanliness, gases,

and manufacturing conditions, and finished product. We have established EDP (Electronic Data

Processing) management of quality control information as an integral part of the Renesas total

quality control system.



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



Quality control in the finished product stage has two aspects. The first is in-house testing and

inspection by device, by lot, or of samples to determine if products have met the prescribed

functionality and reliability. The second is customer support by which we accept returned products

and provide quality control information.

The quality control information is collected in the development and design, production, shipping,

and field use stages, and is fed back to each stage to improve quality.

Figure 1.2 shows a flowchart of the quality assurance program.

Our quality control system was built based on the ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949 standards.



Customer



Development and design



Design and

Manufacturing Quality Assurance

Customer Sales Dept. Engineering Depts.

Dept.

Dept.



Process Technology Dept.

(new product development)

Device structure development



Market research and

development contract

Development and

production planning



Package structure development

TEG prototyping



Development

and design

Design review



Process characteristics evaluation



Prototyping



Process quality verification



Product characteristics evaluation



Mass

production



Product quality verification



Design criteria setting

Parts/materials approval



Transfer to mass production stage

Prototyping for

mass production



Packing

Customer



Field use



Shipping



Mass production quality verification

Shipping

instructions



Complaint

Reporting



Handling of customer complaints



Figure 1.2 Quality Assurance Program Flowchart



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



Not only have Renesas products been manufactured with high reliability and then improved for

higher reliability by the quality assurance system illustrated in figure 1.2, but they also they have

been specified from the product development stage for an appropriate degree of reliability based

on the classification in table 1.1.

Table 1.1



Quality Levels



Quality Level



Description



Typical Product Applications



High reliability



High-quality products



Vehicles (drive-train systems) and

general traffic systems



Industry



Industrial applications



Vehicles (accessories) and industrial

factory automation



Consumer



General-use products (including

products subject to PPM (parts per

million) control and custom-made

products)



PCs, home appliances, and mobile

phones



Custom



Products with individual specifications Video games, mobile phones, and

(products not fitting into any of the

applications requiring ultra high

levels above and set with different

reliability*

standards)



Note:



*



1.3



Designed under a separate contract



Quality Assurance at Development Stage



We use the following procedure to ensure the target quality and reliability in product development.

Using the demand estimate based on market research, we plan development considering the

required levels of quality, functionality, reliability and production issues. Then new theories,

technology and ideas are adopted for design and development. For this purpose, we have defined

three development levels.

Level I:



Developing products with new design rules, materials, and process technology



Level II:



Modifying the design of mass-produced products, or partially modifying processes,

packages, materials, and equipment



Level III: Using the current processes and packages or those of similar or slightly modified

quality levels

Fault tree analysis (FTA), failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), or and/or other methods are

used to review the design and then prototype is fabricated. Then the prototype undergoes a

qualification test that checks whether their electrical characteristics, maximum ratings, and

reliability meet the quality target.

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Section 1 Quality Assurance



When the prototype passes the reliability test, a pre-production meeting is held to check for any

problems related to design, production, and quality. If no problems are found, the prototype goes

to the pre-production stage. Each development level has a specific quality check and approval

flow. The steps for Level I, for example, are usually performed as follows.

To help ensure the desired quality and reliability, quality certification, which is based on reliability

design, is conducted at each stage of device design trials and mass production.

The concepts are:

1. Use an objective viewpoint of the customers' stand point.

2. Incorporate examples of past failures and field use information.

3. Certify design modifications and operation alterations.

4. Certify parts, materials, and processes using stringent criteria.

5. Investigate the process capability and causes of deviation and verify the control points during

mass production.

The process of certification is divided into four steps:

a. Certification of Parts and Materials

b. Characteristics Approval

c. Certification of Design Quality

d. Mass Production Quality Certification

Design verification for parts and materials is performed during the Certification of Parts and

Materials. Product design verification is covered in Characteristics Approval. Design validation is

through Certification of Design Quality. Finally the product quality level on the mass production

line is checked through Mass Production Quality Certification.

At the pre-production stage, initial period management is carried out to check the quality of

manufactured products. Initial period management applies for a limited time after production start,

during which an increased quantity of information is collected. Immediate corrective actions are

then taken for any failures detected and the results are checked. Also at this stage, we prepare

standard forms for mass production and train workers. In addition, we set up materials/and parts

supply systems and provide equipment and tools required for production. The new device is now

ready to enter the mass production stage.



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



1.4



Quality Assurance at Mass Production Stage



At the mass production stage, the device is put into continuous production based on the production

plan. The Manufacturing Department controls the materials, parts, production process,

environment and equipment conditions. They also perform in-process inspections, final inspection

and quality assurance test on both semi-manufactured and manufactured products to check quality

levels.

Building in quality at this stage is very important for manufacturing high quality products

economically. To do this, the Manufacturing/Engineering Department provides operating

instructions and defines control items for critical production conditions. Operation proceeds in

accordance with the instructions. Check sheets are used to control manufacturing conditions that

affect the quality and some specific product/process data is controlled to maintain or improve

quality level.

Periodical inspections and accuracy adjustments are performed for early detection of abnormalities

and for establishing/monitoring preventive maintenance schedules.

The in-process quality control performs Statistical Process Control (SPC) with completed products

production and measurement values. The quality control information is fed back to earlier

processes to improve quality levels.

To build in quality, statistical techniques are used at each stage. In particular, in the mass

production stage, management diagrams are applied to critical work steps to monitor whether

process dispersion is within the acceptable range. In this SPC, the process capability indexes (Cp

and Cpk) are checked to reduce any further process dispersion.

The process capability indexes, which are defined below, are used to obtain the stability of the

process with respect to the process specifications from the process data and the specified control

values for a specified period. The Cp value (agreement between the specified center value and the

average of the process data) and the Cpk value (disagreement between the specified center value

and the average of the process data) are periodically acquired and used to reduce the process

dispersion.

Cp =

Cpk =



(Specified upper limit - Specified lower limit)

6σ

|Specified limit close to the average - Average|

3σ



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



At the final inspection, all products undergo electrical characteristic testing. Screening is

performed to reject defective marginal products. The resulting data is used for improving quality.

Samples of the completed products that have passed the final inspection are subjected to quality

assurance tests to check whether they meet the customer's requirements. The quality assurance test

consists of a lot-by-lot test and a periodical test. The lot-by-lot test judges whether a lot should be

accepted or rejected. It includes visual, electrical characteristics, thermal and mechanical

environment, and maximum rating tests. The periodical test checks reliability by sampling at a

regular interval. It includes electrical characteristics, thermal, mechanical, and operating life tests.

The test results are immediately fed back to relevant departments to improve quality. They are

also used to estimate the reliability in field use.

The quality information from the purchasing of materials and parts for production, inspection,

shipping, and field use is controlled using the quality management system.

The information is sent to the host computer where it is analyzed using statistical quality control

methods. The result of analysis is fed back to the Manufacturing/Engineering Departments and

other departments to maintain and improve quality levels and increased yields.

If a failure occurs during the production process or in the product itself, a failure information sheet

is issued. Then relevant departments investigate the cause of failure and take corrective actions.

Figure 1.3 is a flowchart of a corrective action.

When the design, materials and parts, production methods, equipment, and such can be changed,

prototype is made to check for quality levels and evaluate the reliability. If no problem is detected,

the change will be implemented after the customer gives their approval.

Quality control audits are performed by key members regularly of all departments such as Design

and Engineering, Quality Assurance Department, Manufacturing, Sales, and Administration,

Supplies regularly. They enable problems to be identified and corrected. They also increase

awareness of quality control at the departmental level. The result is a more comprehensive quality

control system.



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



Procedure and description



Department concerned

Detection Department



Detection of quality problem



Issue failure information sheet



Quality assurance, design/engineering,

and manufacturing

Failure analysis

Design/engineering and manufacturing

Investigate process record



Quality assurance, design/engineering,

and manufacturing

Corrective action meeting



Corrective actions and

disposition of defective products



Confirmation of corrective actions



Design/engineering and manufacturing



Quality assurance



Figure 1.3 Flowchart of a Corrective Action



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



1.5



Change Control



We have adjusted and continue to optimize our manufacturing equipment and processes for

stability against external factors. To minimize the risks from changes we have set up and are

operating the change management system shown in figure 1.4. This system manages not only

changes involving manufacturing equipment, manufacturing conditions, and manufacturing sites,

but also changes at the detail level. If a change could affect either product quality or

characteristics, we will inform our customers and make the change only after receiving their

approval.



Sales or

Sales Engineering Dept.



Customer



Quality Assurance Dept.



Design Dept.



Manufacturing Dept.



Plan a change



No



Evaluation

required?

Yes

Plan evaluation details



Prototyping



Evaluate



Acceptable?



No



Cancel



Yes

Plan a schedule for the change

Inform the customer



Sample

required?



Yes



Make samples



Prepare sample/data



No

Make the

change



Approve



Figure 1.4 Semiconductor Device Change Management System



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



1.6



Product Identification and Traceability



Dates of manufacture are indicated on all Renesas products so that the manufacturing history can

be confirmed and products can be identified. Also, manufacturing lot codes are given to the

products so that the manufacturing history can be traced. A representation of a Renesas

manufacturing lot code is given below. However, please note that restrictions on package

dimensions and/or other factors may lead to some codes being omitted or displayed in different

ways.

An Example up to the Manufacturing Week Code

6



01



* * *

Renesas control code (five digits max.)

Manufacturing week code ("01" indicates the first week of the given year)

Manufacturing year code (last one digit of the year)



According to ISO8601, the week which includes the first Thursday of the year is considered the first week of the year.



An Example up to the Manufacturing Month Code

6



A



* *

Renesas control code

Manufacturing month code (January to December (A to M))

Manufacturing year code (last one digit of the year)



Figure 1.5 Examples up to the Manufacturing Week/Month Codes

Lot Traceability Management System

Renesas Technology has configured and been facilitating the system illustrated below; this allows

the speedy and steady tracing of lot records as required.



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



Wafer processes



Lot no.



Lot no.



Start-of-manufacturing

record



Start-of-manufacturing

record



Machinery in use



Machinery in use



Materials used other



Materials used other



Control card

(server for managing

the start of wafer

processing)



Customers



Assembly processes



Work sheet

(server for managing

the start of assembly

processing)



Data on

processing



Data on

processing



Markings on

products



Shipping



. Week code

. Serial no.

Each product is marked

with the above items.



Data on

shipment



Tracing system

(Keys: Week code/serial no.)

Request

for search



Records of processing from

wafer input to shipment can

be traced.



Figure 1.6 Lot Traceability Management System



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Section 1 Quality Assurance



1.7



Failure After Shipping and Corrective Actions



When a failure is found at the acceptance inspection, assembly, or in field use at the customer, the

Quality Assurance Department plays the major role in identifying the cause of failure and

implementing corrective actions. Based on the analysis request issued by the Sales Department,

the Quality Assurance Department investigates the failure and analyzes it using various testing

equipment and analysis methods.

Based on the analysis result, Design and Engineering, Manufacturing, and other related

departments hold a meeting. Then corrective action is taken as required, and a report is issued to

the customer. Figure 1.7 shows the flowchart of returned product control.



Customer

Complaint (failure information)

Sales Dept.



Quality Assurance Dept.

Analysis of the failure and

determination of the cause



Manufacturing Dept.



Technical Dept.



Design Dept.



Implementation of

preventive measures

Reporting

Check on the corrective measures

and follow-up



Quality Assurance Dept.



Check on the corrective measures

and follow-up



Reporting

Sales Dept.

Reply

Customer



Figure 1.7 Flowchart of Complaint Handling and Corrective Measures



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