Nov/Dec, 2022


www.us-tech.com Continued from previous page


dollars for each FPGA device to qualify alternative subcontrac- tors to provide column attach- ment services. Conversely, the cost of inaction may exceed hun- dreds of millions of dollars. Sol- der column attachment is the Achilles Heel in the assembly process of defense grade FPGA. The speed with which the


current brittle market can be for- tified depends on judicious ac- cess to funding, which will drive the next steps in the roadmap. Step one is the U.S. Department of Defense incentivizing an in- dustry effort to strengthen the supply chain. Step two requires the engagement of subject mat- ter experts (SME) with intimate knowledge of components used in the defense industry to vet pro- posals from the supply chain. If neither step is initiated,


then step three should be initiat- ed, i.e., the main producers of FPGA components should allo- cate adequate resources to ag- gressively encourage multiple subcontractors to qualify solder column attachment


Page 35 How to End FPGA Single Source Reliance It is a useful resource to aid


FPGA device makers seeking to broaden their supplier base for components that are critical to the welfare of national security. The DMSMS guidebook presents the concerns and recommended remedies to mitigate the risk of loss, or impending loss, of manu- facturers or suppliers of items, software, and raw materials. The Under Secretary of De-


fense for Acquisition and Sus- tainment delivers an annual re- port to Congress titled “Industri- al Capabilities” stating the mis- sion of the Office of Industrial Policy (INDPOL) is to ensure ro-


bust, secure, resilient, and inno- vative industrial capabilities upon which the DoD can rely. Eight public companies making the majority of the world’s FPGA devices may consider issuing for- ward-looking cautionary state- ments to shareholders according to guidelines of the Exchange Commission (SEC) citing their reliance on a single QML vendor to attach copper wrapped columns. These statements disclose


potential risks from the perspec- tive of management. Fabrication of copper wrapped solder columns is not trivial, and re-


quires the correct know-how, manufacturing equipment and proficient operator skills to prop- erly attach columns to FPGA packages. Thus, a key focus of the Government ought to be en- couraging the supply chain to de- velop multiple suppliers for at- taching columns to FPGA de- vices.


Advocacy stakeholders


should initiate a shared vision to ensure a robust, resilient and sustainable supply chain for FPGA devices. Domestic manu- facturing of copper wrapped sol- der columns is already available.


Continued on page 37


service


providers in preparation for cer- tification by DLA. If none of those steps occurs,


then we have step four, in which independent subcontractors in the supply chain deploy their own sources of funding to devel- op processes to attach solder columns to prepare for DLA cer- tification. Step five follows — a proactive discussion with stake- holders,


including the DoD,


SMEs, FPGA makers and down- stream defense and aerospace customers to gain momentum for developing a resilient, robust supply chain for column attach- ment services. This course of ac- tion is much more desirable than waiting for calamity to strike. The ultimate goal is to provide the defense and space industries with an uninterrupted supply of mission critical FPGA compo- nents 10, 20 and even 30 years from now.


Preventable Risk Risk of an FPGA production


shutdown is preventable. The most direct solution is to qualify multiple vendors for critical processes including column at- tachment services. This remedy requires a relatively low invest- ment by FPGA device makers. The U.S. DoD provides


guidelines to assist the industry to identify and mitigate depend- ency on services from single- source subcontractors. The De- fense Standardization Program Office publishes a helpful docu- ment SD-22, titled, “Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Ma- terial Shortages (DMSMS), a Guidebook of Best Practices for Implementing a Robust DMSMS Management Program.”


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