Reliability

Spansion understands that product reliability is paramount. That’s why we work closely with customers to help ensure reliable product operation throughout the life of the product. Performance metrics are clearly defined through a combination of documented customer specifications and those defined by Spansion. These metrics are then integrated into our specified policies and procedures to maximize conformance, while also ensuring that customer needs are identified and addressed.

Spansion products are qualified to the most stringent industry standards. Generally, Spansion chooses to adhere to JEDEC, EIA and EIAJ standards while automotive TS-grade products undergo qualifications defined by the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) and contained in the AEC-Q100 qualification standard.

Spansion’s Product Management Policy and Procedures have been designed to enable rapid introduction; controlled, predictable manufacturing; and continual improvement of our products at the highest levels of quality and reliability. The policy applies to all Spansion products and supports software, design systems, wafer fabrication and packaging processes currently in place at a Spansion site, foundry or subcontractor location. Furthermore, the policy is based on industry-leading concepts of project management and Advanced Product Quality Planning. These include, but are not limited to:

• Cross-functional project teams.
  Teams are composed of members representing all involved and affected functions and organizations within Spansion.
• Concurrent engineering.
  Project activities are performed in parallel (rather than serially) to accelerate product development time.
• Comprehensive planning.
  Advanced project planning skills are used to manage each stage of a product’s lifetime – from conception through obsolescence.
• Stage review.
  Critical decision points are integrated into each stage of a product’s lifecycle. Review, strict control and team sign-off approval are required at each stage to move forward. Spansion defines five stages in the product lifecycle:
      • Stage 0 – Product definition
      • Stage 1 – Product realization
      • Stage 2 – Risk production release
      • Stage 3 – Full qualification release
      • Stage 4 – Production volume ramp-up
      • Stage 5 – Product obsolescence
  

For more information on product qualification and our process-based approach to reliability, please see the Spansion Quality Manual.