Quality According to US government guidelines, what is National''s business classification? National Semiconductor is classified as a Large Corporation with Public Ownership. Its Stock Market Symbol is NSM. It has been in business since 1959. Are ESD certified personnel required to perform daily self checks of area and grounding based upon protective specifications of the product being manufactured? National''s ESD safe procedures define routine monitors of grounding systems. Are Quality Department authorities and responsibilities clearly defined in writing? Yes, in addition to the responsibilities defined in the Quality Manual, there is a matrix defining specific roles and responsibilities that is maintained by the VP of Quality. This matrix is part of a controlled document. Are all gauges and instruments checked and recorded per an established calibration procedure? Yes, calibration systems are compliant to ANSI/NCSL-2540. Are calibration records kept accurate and up to date, and is there an established internal audit procedure to monitor status? Yes, all records are maintained and are audited as part of the quality system audit process. Are sampling inspections performed in compliance with established, recognized standards, and if so, please indicate sampling plans used? Sampling inspection plans are based on Mil-Std-105. Are there accuracy and precision action limits, and is there a documented procedure to follow when out-of-tolerance conditions occur? Yes, National Semiconductor uses Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) procedures to quantify the accuracy and precision of measurement tools. Describe the procedure by which rejected material is identified and segregated? Is this procedure documented in a formal written procedure? Rejected material is locked in a secure area with "reject" documentation attached. It cannot be released until a Material Review Board has reviewed the discrepancy and dispositioned the material. Yes, this procedure is documented. Describe the process by which customer drawings and specifications are incorporated into the Documentation Control system. Is there a formal Change Control system? Please describe. Appropriate technical personnel review customer drawings and specifications. Exceptions are reviewed with the customer and if changes to internal process specs are required they are handled through the normal document change procedures. A more detailed overview can be seen in the description of National Semiconductor''s Change Management System. Describe the process by which drawings and test procedures are updated to reflect the latest changes. All drawings and test procedures are maintained under document control. An engineering change notice is initiated and approved whenever a change is required. Describe the process by which obsolete documents related to the production process are controlled to preclude unintended use. Obsolete documents are removed from production areas and destroyed. In those areas where on-line documents are used, only the latest revision of the document is available. Describe the process by which specification waivers are handled. Waivers are negotiated and agreed upon with the customer. For new products, these waivers become part of the product definition documentation. For released products, waivers may be requested when the product does not meet customer requirements. Written approval from the customer is required to ship this product. Describe the process used to assure prompt notification to the customer of defective product shipped. A customer product information advisory system is in place to review all potential customer problems. If there is a need to notify a customer, then a formal letter is written and provided to the customer. The letter contains an assessment of the level of risk, alternative product source information (if available) and corrective action for the specific problem. Describe the review and approval process for new design release to manufacturing. A review board consisting of representatives from product engineering, process engineering, quality, and customers for custom products must approve all new products. Describe the review and approval process to ensure products meet contractual / customer requirements. Customer requirements are reviewed by engineering. Exceptions are noted and reviewed with the customer. All product is tested to datasheet limits or to customer defined limits if needed. Describe your receiving inspection procedures and how they are documented. All production materials are ordered to documented requirements. Inspections are performed on a sample of materials until quality levels reach a target level. Inspections may then be reduced or eliminated based on the ability of the supplier to maintain those quality levels. Inspection results are maintained in logs or on-line databases for 3-5 years, depending on the type of information being maintained. Do you have written process parameters established for manufacturing product? Please describe. Yes, all products supplied by National Semiconductor have datasheets that define the products operating characteristics. Each step in the manufacturing process also has defined process limits that must be met to pass the product on to the next step. Does National Semiconductor have a mechanism to capture and track customer complaints? What is the process? National Semiconductor uses an automated system for tracking the status of customer complaints. The system assigns a unique number to each complaint and tracks it through all steps to final resolution. Analysis is done to identify trends in customer issues and projects initiated to address systemic problems. Does National Semiconductor have an Internal Quality Audit Program? If so, please provide general guidelines, triggers, and frequencies. Quality System audits are conducted at least two times per year at all manufacturing locations and for all product business units. Additional audits may be scheduled if quality problems reach an unacceptable level based on current quality expectations. Findings must be addressed in a timely manner and summary reports are presented to management on a periodic basis. Does National Semiconductor have written procedures for in-process and final inspection? Yes, all inspection procedures have written, controlled procedures. Does National maintain an environmental, health and safety program? As a quality organization, National Semiconductor is committed to maintaining a standard that ensures continued improvement in environmental, health and safety performance. View the complete web pages of National Semiconductor''s Environmental Health and Safety organization. Does National subcontract any portion of its manufacturing processes? National Semiconductor subcontracts wafer fab, assembly and test operations in order to sustain a dual source strategy. Subcontracted operations are also available in-house and National ships products from either source based on capacity allocations. Please note that business volume with subcontractors is considered confidential. Has everyone working in the static-safe area been ESD trained and certified? Describe how workers are trained and certified. How often is re-certification done? All employees working in static-safe areas must be certified. Certification is done annually. Training is either classroom or computer based with a test administered at the completion of the training. How are drawings and test procedures updated to reflect the latest changes? All drawings and test procedures are maintained under document control. An engineering change notice is initiated and approved whenever a change is required. How are in-process and final inspection results documented? For how long are these results maintained? Inspection results are maintained in logs or on-line databases for 3-5 years, depending on the type of information being maintained. How are process changes recorded and how is this record maintained? Process changes can only be made by initiating a change to the process documentation. This is done using an engineering change notice, which must be approved before the change can be implemented. Click here for a further discussion of National Semiconductor''s Change Management System. How are production employees and contract workers trained in regards to manufacturing the product? Is the training documented? Production employees are trained to those procedures that document their specific job functions. All manufacturing personnel receive training in product handling and safety. If required by the specific task, they may also receive training in SPC and problem solving techniques. They are re-certified annually or when job performance indicates that retraining is required. Training records are maintained. Click here for a further discussion of National Semiconductor''s approach to the use of Advanced Statistical Methods. How are production employees trained and what schedule or events trigger retraining? Is the training documented? Production employees are trained to those procedures that document their specific job functions. All manufacturing personnel receive training in product handling and safety. If required by the specific task, they may also receive training in SPC and problem solving techniques. They are re-certified annually or when job performance indicates that retraining is required. Training records are maintained. How are the Quality Inspectors trained and what schedule or events trigger retraining? Is the training documented? Quality Inspectors are trained to those procedures that document their specific job functions. All manufacturing personnel receive training in product handling and safety. If required by the specific task, they may also receive training in SPC and problem solving techniques. They are re-certified annually or when job performance indicates that retraining is required. Training records are maintained. How is material awaiting inspection identified? Material awaiting inspection is kept in a secured area of a warehouse or storage location. It cannot be released to production without an approval stamp. How is non-conforming material identified, segregated, and evaluated for disposition? Non-conforming material is identified using a lot hold tag. The lot must then be reviewed by an engineer and dispositioned in writing before it can be moved from a hold condition. This procedure is documented in the applicable process or QA document. How is the Quality Manual updated? Is there a link from TS16949 requirements to your Quality Manual? National Semiconductor''s Vice President of Quality does an annual review and update of the Quality Manual. There is a cross reference to TS16949 included in the manual. How is the inspection status of in-process materials identified? All production lots are accompanied by a lot traveler which lists all the process steps. The lot must be signed out at each step before it can be moved through the process. If there is a quality problem, what course of action will the inspectors take? Is there a formal corrective action process to determine the root cause? Problem lots are identified using a lot hold tag. The lot must then be reviewed by an engineer and dispositioned in writing before it can be moved from a hold condition. This procedure is documented in the applicable process or QA document. Is National Semiconductor''s Quality System registered or certified by third party agencies? All of National Semiconductor''s sites are ISO/TS16949 registered by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) RAB/RvA accredited. Click here to view a detailed listing of Third Party Certifications. Is National''s labor force unionized? No, National Semiconductor''s labor force is not unionized. Is SPC part of your in-process control program, and is SPC incorporated into process work instruction specifications? All critical processes are controlled using SPC. These procedures are part of the process documents. Is sampling inspection performed in compliance with established, recognized standards? If so, please indicate standards used. Yes, sampling plans are based on Mil-Std-105. Is there a Quality Manual? Is a copy available? Yes. National Semiconductor''s Quality Manual is contained in our controlled specification, CP-0008 (pdf 59KB). Is there a procedure to segregate different lot numbers of incoming material and extend this lot control to the material storage area? Yes, if there is a known lot to lot variation in the materials, then lot identity is maintained throughout the manufacturing process. Is there a procedure to store materials to facilitate stock rotation (oldest materials are used first; ie first-in, first-out - FIFO)? Yes, a FIFO system is used, as applicable. Is there a separate Quality Department, and if so, how many employees are involved? Yes, National Semiconductor Corp. has a separate Quality Department. There are approximately 100 QA employees worldwide. Is there a system to prevent uninspected material from being used? Please describe. Yes, material without the proper QA approval stamp cannot be used in production. Is there documented traceability of material lot or serial numbers from incoming to final product? If so, please describe. Yes, all lots are assigned a unique lot tracking number that maintains lot identity throughout manufacturing. The final parts are physically marked with a traceability ID that correlates with this tracking number. An incoming lot number on the lot traveler for each manufacturing lot identifies critical materials. Please describe the process by which ESD sensitive products are packaged and labeled according to customer requirements. All products are packaged in static safe packing materials. These materials vary depending on the specific package type, but all provide two layers of protection for each device. All packing material displays the industry standard static sensitivity label. Please describe the process by which all static-safe areas are identified and properly grounded. Are all personnel working or visiting in the static-safe areas properly grounded? Industry standard signs are used to identify static-safe areas. All personnel working in the area must be certified and a certified employee must accompany all visitors. Please indicate areas covered in National Semiconductor''s Quality Manual. The following areas are included in National Semiconductor''s Quality Manual: Organization and Function Training/Certifications Non-conforming Materials Process Controls Calibration/Maintenance In-process Inspection Storage / Delivery Audits Records and Reports Corrective Action Drawings and Change Control Material Control Final Inspection Please indicate which records are maintained relative to incoming materials or product: The following information is maintained: Identity of product Name of supplier Receipt of material Test results Reserve samples Quantity Supplier lot number Specifications Disposition Purchase order number To what standards are calibrated devices traceable? Calibration is performed using NIST standards where such standards exist. In-house standards are used where there are no NIST standards. What is National Semiconductor''s Quality Policy? The National Semiconductor Quality Policy is to continuously improve our processes, products, and services to deliver solutions of the highest value, thereby providing a competitive advantage to our customers. What is National''s revenue and how is it distributed over key customers? National Semiconductor Corp.''s approximate annual revenues are $2.0 Billion. Its approximate number of OEM customers is 250. The number of customers comprising 80% of sales revenue is 100. What is a summary of National''s 5-year business and technical plan? National Semiconductor is an acknowledged leader in the design and manufacture of analog and mixed signal semiconductor products - products that provide access to the information highway. A primary focus of the company moving forward will be development of technologies for the growing array of Internet access devices. What is the frequency of in-process inspections and are such guidelines documented? In-process inspection frequencies vary depending on the process step. There are approximately 150 process steps in the typical IC manufacturing flow. What manufacturing materials are used in manufacturing of semiconductors? Semiconductor manufacturing uses a large number of chemicals and other materials in the manufacturing process. A comprehensive list can be supplied if needed. Where applicable, is testing of physical or chemical properties done, and if not, is certification of the component quality required from the manufacturer? Both methods are used based on the material and the overall quality level of the supplier. Where is National located and who are the key contacts? See below for National Semiconductor''s company address, Quality issues contact, and executive and key personnel. Company address: Supplier Name: National Semiconductor Street Address: 2900 Semiconductor Drive City: Santa Clara, CA 95052-8090 Phone: (408) 721-5000 Executive and Key Personnel: Executive Chairman: Donald Macleod Sr. VP, Worldwide Manufacturing: C.S. Liu Sr. VP & Chief Technology Officer: Dr. Ahmad Bahai Sr. National Semiconductor Fellow: Mohan Yegnashankaran Sr. VP, World Wide Quality: Gerry Edwards Click here for more information on various worldwide National Semiconductor locations.