MILITARY


Sourcing military grade SemiconductorS


Rochester can place devices into bonded inventory and carry out scheduled distribution


Rochester Electronics’ George Karalias answers some key questions on military semiconductors


towhat extent has themilitary chipmarketmigrated from proprietary to off the shelf (or commercial) products?


Military designs are usingmore COTS (commercial off the shelf) devices. This has reduced initial design costs, but has also lowered demand forMIL-qualified devices. However, the COTS initiative may have amore substantial impact where semiconductors are concerned. The initiative was intended to be applied across all areas ofmilitary purchasing, but in the semiconductor industry the word “commercial” has a differentmeaning than it does withmost other products. A commercial semiconductor is, inmost cases, a plastic-packaged device designed to operate between 0°C and 70°C; whereas theMIL-qualified version of that device is housed in a hermeticmetal package that has a significantly wider operating temperature range.MIL-qualified parts also undergo extensive test procedures for a host of environmental conditions.


The original intent of the COTS initiative was to eliminate the


now-familiar example of “the $600 hammer” – an over-specified and over-priced component purchased for amilitary application where a standard “commercial” version would have been acceptable and far less expensive. But differences are not always so black and white in the semiconductor world. For example, a space level JM38510 device can still be considered a COTS part simply because it is offered by themanufacturer as a standard or catalog item. For this reason, the semiconductor industry should have pushed for a “SOTS” or standard-off-the-shelf industry that would assure that the reliability of the parts would not be compromised. A JM38510 or SMD version is just as reliable as a customer “special” built to a customer drawing.


Devices produced under QML certification, like COTS devices, are reliable and cost effective


TheMil-PRF-38535 specification provides manufacturers withmaximumflexibility to employ the industry’s bestmanufacturing practices as long as they achieve the government’s required quality and reliability levels. Under the guidelines of this specification, qualifiedmanufacturers, like Rochester Electronics, receive the Qualified


Manufacturer Listing (QML) certification. Devices produced under QML certification, like COTS devices, are reliable and cost effective. However, the downside to COTS devices is thatmanufacturers can eliminate tests when they can be shown as “unnecessary,” whereas testing and processing specifications formilitary-grade devices are generally non-flexible. In addition, COTS devices often cannot bemodified or upgraded, and if they are, the process can be prohibitively costly.


Has themove to cotS devices increased or decreased the trend toward end-of-life (eol) announcements?


Lower demand forMIL-qualified parts (due to the increased use of COTS devices) in the design ofmil-aero systems has led to an increase inmilitary semiconductor EOL announcements. In addition, the use of COTS has probably resulted in significant cost savings, sincemany commercial products tend to become obsolete more quickly, causing the need for expensive systemre-design. Since volume tends to drive what products are beingmade, the need for newer, faster, lower-power, smaller, andmore complex chips is forcing their ancestors out of production.


What are the particular challengeswhen amilitary part goes eol?


• counterfeit devices are amajor concern. There has been a steady increase in the number of distributors who are supplying counterfeit and substandard components.


• correctly forecasting a last-time buy is a challenge for OEMs. It is difficult for amanufacturer to accurately estimate the number of devices needed for future production and maintenance/repair service for years to come. Becausemany military end products have long life cycles, customersmay be required to forecast demand for some 20 years. An inaccurate forecast – too high or too low – can be expensive.


• increased inventory value due to last-time-buy restrictions or inflated after-market pricing can affect bottomlines.


• increased inventory costs develop when OEMs have tomeet stringent requirements for storing and handling critical devices.


• Finding an authorized source can be a challenge. They are out there, but how do you tell themfromthe sources who will supply you with substandard devices?


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