TriQuint Semiconductor has announced that it has earned the the Trusted Source Category 1A accreditation through 2016 from the Department of Defense (DoD). According to the certification, the accreditation of trust expresses the confidence of the DoD Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) and the National Security Agency’s Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO) that TriQuint will continue to deliver trusted foundry microelectronic goods and services (category 1A) to end users which meet mission critical needs now and into the future.
TriQuint earned original accreditation for its Richardson, Texas foundry in 2008. It was extended in 2012 to include post processing services, assembly and packaging services, and RF test services. All of those accreditations have been renewed through 2016. Foundry accreditations include gallium nitride (GaN), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies. The accreditation certifies that TriQuint provides the DoD and intelligence community with critical system microelectronics; foundry access for mission applications; and technology support through industry partnership. In this manner, TAPO and DMEA can have confidence that national security technology is secured throughout its manufacture and distribution by TriQuint – truly trusted source electronics.
TriQuint has focused on achieving several milestones as a supplier to the DoD. For instance, the company recently completed the Defense Production Act Title III GaN on silicon carbide (SiC) program. TriQuint also applied the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s rigorous manufacturing readiness assessment (MRA) tool and criteria to its GaN production line, which develops high-frequency, high-power devices used within military radar, communications and electronic warfare programs. This MRA process benchmarked TriQuint as the first GaN manufacturer to earn Manufacturing Readiness Level 9, with the maturity needed to support full-rate production programs. The DoD’s MRA ensures that manufacturing, production and quality assurance meet operational mission needs and provide the best value for the customer. TriQuint demonstrated that its manufacturing processes met full performance, cost and capacity goals, with the capability in place to support full-rate production.
