Rochester Space Level Semiconductor Manufacture and Re-Creation

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Rochester Electronics, the world’s largest authorized manufacturer and distributor of end-of-life and mature semiconductors, has expanded its space-level continuing manufacturing services and product offering to provide a continuous, long-term source of certified semiconductor devices. Since many manufacturers are discontinuing production of space-level parts due to the rigorous certification processes and expansive infrastructure required to manufacture, test, and store these low-volume parts, customers are often left with few places to turn for authorized space-level solutions. Contractually licensed by more than 60 original manufacturers, Rochester currently has more than two million space-level semiconductor devices in stock. In addition to the space-level finished goods inventory, Rochester is licensed to continuously manufacture space products from such manufacturers as National, Texas Instruments, Fairchild, and others.

Rochester’s combination of semiconductor re-creation and continuing manufacturing is a cost- effective and time-saving alternative to system re-design when critical semiconductors are no longer available from the original manufacturer. Rochester’s advanced re-creation process provides customers with a replicated device that matches the original semiconductor’s physical features, layer-by-layer and pin-for-pin, and is guaranteed to perform exactly as the original.

As an approved member of the Class V Qualified Manufacturer List (QML) by the Defense Supply Center of Columbus (DSCC), Rochester manufactures devices that meet MIL-PRF-38535 space-level certification requirements. This certification verifies Rochester Electronics’ capabilities in manufacturing processes, materials, and highly defined test flow to ensure the production of reliable parts that are electrically stable and can withstand harsh environmental stresses.

“Our unique Semiconductor Replication Process™ (SRP™) guarantees that replicated devices perform as effectively as the original semiconductor devices. Rochester has successfully completed 83 semiconductor replication projects in the last 18 months and is currently engaged in more than 30 additional re-creation projects,” said Paul Gerrish, co-president of Rochester Electronics. “In addition, we also maintain a large inventory of space-level parts to keep lead times as short as possible.”

Rochester Electronics’ space-level certification and manufacturing capabilities enable the company to provide continuing long-term support for military and aerospace programs. For example, Rochester is current providing continuing support for a part used in the James Webb Space Telescope (next-generation Hubble Space Telescope), a large, infrared-optimized space telescope that is set to be launched in 2013. The semiconductor, which reached end-of-life, and for which there was no next-generation replacement, is built on a robust, high-powered, bipolar process and contains a fairly unique functional set that includes a high-power transistor array with front-end logic blocks. It is space-proven and thus has the unique radiation-reflective, rad-hard qualities. Rochester’s ability to support the part prevented a system re-design, which would have created a dramatic design challenge in terms of cost, time, and feasibility, including, possibly, years of re-testing and re-certification.

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