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FAQ Response Summary
This document provides answers to commonly asked customer questions submitted to
Atmel's Quality and Reliability group. Please contact qr-sj@atmel.com if you have a
question that is not covered below.
- Corporate Quality Internet Site. The following information is
available:
- Quality and Reliability Handbook
- Quality Policy
- Quality System Third-Party Registration Certificates (ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949)
- On-Line Failure Analysis Submission Request
- RMA Instructions
- Reliability Monitor Reports
- Quality Policy Specifications:
- Quality Manual
- Management Review
- Reliability Qualification
- Reliability Monitor
- Returned Material/Failure Analysis
- Change Notification/EOL
- Date Codes
- Labeling
- Customer Satisfaction
- Die/Wafer Shipments
- Document/Data Control
- Customer Document Review
- Business Recovery
- Product Obsolescence Information
- Third-Party Quality System Registration. A complete listing of Atmel's ISO/TS 16949
and ISO 9001 certificates is available here. Atmel
undergoes annual third-party audits as part of the requirement to maintain registration
to these standards.
- Customer Satisfaction Survey Process. Atmel conducts bi-annual customer
satisfaction surveys (even-numbered years) and complements this process with internal
sales questionnaires in odd-numbered years. This information is carefully analyzed by
the WorldWide Quality Team and used as a basis for the development of the corporate
quality goals and initiatives. It also allows us to assess customer satisfaction levels and
identify the next steps Atmel will make on its journey to excellence. The data obtained
through surveys over the past decade has directly resulted in many corporate-wide
initiatives (On-Time Delivery Improvement Team, SAP-based Early Warning Notification
System, Pb-Free/Green readiness, Six Sigma Samples Team, ISO/TS 16949
certification, Quality Web Site, etc.). Furthermore, it served to greatly enrich our
information base on customer requirements, expectations, and needs.
Atmel also collects customer satisfaction information via customer scorecards that are
issued on a periodic basis. This information is submitted to
customerscorecard@atmel.com to ensure that it the information is reviewed by the
appropriate quality management group and covered during the management review
process.
- Customer Document Review Process. All customer documents needing Atmel
review must be submitted to Atmel's sales organization for authorization. Once
approved, these documents will be submitted to Atmel's worldwide quality team for
global review coordination based on the applicable part numbers. Atmel's sales
organization must provide a customer document review request form with each
submission.
- Moisture Sensitivity and Reflow Profiles. Moisture Sensitivity Levels (MSL),
equivalent out-of-bag exposure times, maximum reflow temperatures, and J-STD-609
e-codes are printed on the intermediate container labels. MSLs are also available via
the package information on the Internet-based product cards. An
example for the ATMEGA2560 can be found here.
The following package information is also available via the product cards: terminal count, height, thickness, width, length, package volume, Theta Ja, terminal pitch, carrier type, units per carrier, carriers per bag, units per bag, reel quantity, tape pitch, tape
width, tube/tray drawing, carrier tape drawing, reel drawing, and package material
declaration data sheet.
Also, the JEDEC web site is a good reference. J-STD-020C
(Moisture/Reflow Sensitivity Classification for Non-Hermetic Solid State Surface-Mount
Devices), J-STD-033B (Standard for Handling, Packing, Shipping, and Use of
Moisture/Reflow Sensitive Surface-Mount Devices), and J-STD-609 (Marking and
Labeling of Components, PCBs and PCBAs to Identify Lead (Pb), Pb-Free and Other
Attributes) can be downloaded for free here.
- Green Packaging. Atmel's green site provides a compendium
of environmental packaging information. This includes, but is not limited to, package
material declaration datasheets, corporate green packaging policy, RoHS Certificate of
Compliance, environmental handbook, backwards compatibility documentation, Tin
whisker reports, and ISO 14001 certificates (www.atmel.com/green/is014001cert.asp).
- Product Traceability. Atmel ensures forward and backward traceability. Inside Atmel
manufacturing locations, traceability is ensured through the lot number. After delivery,
the traceability is ensured via lot number and shipment number. The lot number is
marked on each package (this does not apply to SmartCards, multi-chip modules, or
bare die). For wafer shipments, the lot number and wafer number are scribed at the
base of the wafer. The lot number is also marked on the intermediate container label
(inner-most shipping carton). For Smart Cards, lot traceability information is stored as
part of the EEPROM. For ceramic imaging products, the lot number is traceable via the
Certificate of Conformance. From the lot number, Atmel can retrieve all associated
manufacturing, final test, and shipment paperwork within 24 hours.
Atmel's base lot number uses the following format: Y@XXXX, whereby, "Y"
corresponds to the last digit in the year, "@" indicates both the fabrication site and
quarter, and "XXXX" is a counter that resets at the beginning of each quarter.
- Reliability Qualification Reports. Atmel's Reliability Qualification Policy (CPQ-2001), outlines the reliability stress tests that are performed when new products, processes, and/or
packages are qualified. Listed below is a summary of the qualification reports made available on-line:
- Failure Analysis Cycle Time. Atmel has goals in place to meet cycle time criteria for
containment (1 working day), failure confirmation (2 working days), and final reporting
(10 working days).
- On-Time Delivery (OTD). Atmel has OTD goals based on shipment performance to
our first commit date. Metrics are assessed by executive management on a weekly
basis.
- Process Capability Goals. The target is to achieve Cpk indices greater than 1.67 for
critical Fab and Assembly process parameters. All Cpk data is reviewed on a monthly
basis with corrective actions identified for abnormal data points.
- Change Notification and EOL Timeliness. Per JESD46C (PCN) and JESD48B (EOL),
Atmel PCNs are typically issued 90 days prior to implementation. End of Life (EOL)
notices typically provide 6 months warning on Last Time Buy (LTB) and twelve months
notice for last shipments. A query screen is available on-line to find out if a particular
part number has been made obsolete; if so, replacement part information is provided.
The query screen is available here.
- Date Code Management. Atmel Corporate Policy (CPQ-2009) dictates that all product
shipped must have a topside date code within three years of the ship date. Atmel date
codes are typically in the format "YYWW", whereby, "YY" corresponds to the last two
digits of the year and "WW" indicates the workweek. In some instances, due to marking
space restrictions, a "YWW" format is used with the "Y" corresponding to the last digit of
the year.
- Certificate of Conformance. A "C of C" is included with every Atmel shipment. The
following material conformance statement is included on the packing list:
"I hereby certify that the products contained in this shipment meet the applicable requirements. I further certify that the supplies or services are free of any material or workmanship defects in quality and conform in all respects with the mutually agreed upon contract requirements, including specifications, drawings, preservation, packaging, packing, marking, requirements, and physical item identification (part numbers), and are in quantity shown on this or on the attached acceptance documents.
If our sales order acknowledgement form was mailed before the confirming order was
received, this certification then refers to all specifications and/or drawings as listed or
referenced in our sales order acknowledgement."
RoHS certificates of conformance are available here.
- Country of Origin, Diffusion, and Assembly. All of this information is provided on the
packing list that is included with each shipment. The packing list also provides a
complete list of lot numbers, date codes, and quantities.
- Business Recovery Plan. Atmel's Corporate Policy (CPQ-2020) provides details on
business contingency plans. This policy is available on-line here.
- Tape and Reel Information. Atmel's tape and reel process includes an automated
inspection system to verify the topside marking content, pin-one orientation, and lead
straightness. The orientation of parts inside reels is dictated by EIA-481.
- Topside Demarking. In extremely rare instances, there are occasions whereby units
that had been topside marked with ink are demarked, 100% electrically tested, and remarked.
In almost all cases, the root cause is based on the fact that the topside
marking was performed at our assembly subcontract location. By performing the
topside mark at that step, we are able to expedite the final test process. In rare
instances, we make decisions to perform de-mark during the final test process based
on fluctuations in demand that result in lots being needed for a different Voltage (which
can be fused during the final test step) or speed (which can be binned out per customer
order). Like all shipments, the certificate of conformance noted above certifies that the
product fully meets the data sheet criteria.
- Flammability Rating. Atmel plastic units pass UL94 V-0 criteria. The oxygen index is
28 to 33 percent. The test conditions on the UL94 V-0 classification are:
- Maximum flaming time/specimen: 10 seconds
- Maximum glowing time/specimen: 30 seconds
- Maximum total flaming time: 50 seconds
- Drip flaming particle ignition: None
- Questionnaire Information. The following information is typically requested on
customer surveys and questionnaires as a precursor to initiating business:
- Company Headquarters: 2325 Orchard Parkway, San Jose, CA 95131
- Company Phone Number: 408-441-0311
- Internet Website: http://www.atmel.com
- NASDAQ Stock Market Symbol: ATML
- Annual Report: http://atml.client.shareholder.com/annuals.cfm
- President/CEO: Steve Laub
- Company founded: 1984
- Number of employees: Approximately 8,000 people worldwide
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