What is a semiconductor
Semiconductors are the foundation of modern electronics, powering devices ranging from smartphones and computers to advanced medical equipment and communication systems. Their versatility and controllable conductivity make them indispensable in the digital age.
Semiconductors are the Brains of Modern Electronics. Semiconductors are an essential component of electronic devices, enabling advances in communications, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, clean energy, and countless other applications.
According to the Semiconductor Industry Association
Almost every device we use to run our lives in the modern day relies on semiconductors. Imagine a world without semiconductors and you would be stepping back in time quite a long way. This is what happens when semiconductors become obsolete.
What is an Obsolete Semiconductor?
Difficult to source and even harder to find in good condition, obsolete semiconductors are electrical components that are no longer manufactured or used by their original creators. As with almost everything in life, semiconductors have a lifespan. Depending on the use of the semi-conductor, that lifespan may vary from a few years to decades, but they all run out of life at some point.
Semiconductors play a vital role in equipment control in a wide variety of applications including operating air conditioners, improving vehicle safety, laser treatment in state-of-the-art medical care and much more. The semiconductors that Force Technologies are used to supply are used in anything from medical devices to defence and aerospace products.
As a result, they tend to have a long shelf life and get used in extreme environments and are therefore valuable components that are not easily replaced. This means manufacturers can sometimes be caught off guard when a semi-conductor becomes obsolete unless they have planned Counterfeiting accordingly.
What happens when semiconductors become obsolete
Hopefully, you have a plan in place to prevent last-minute problems with your products when semiconductors become obsolete. As we have detailed in a previous post, this is all about lifecycle management and can include:
- Long Term Storage – The long-term storage of critical components in advance that will ensure the extended life of a product. Read about our recent expansion into Long Term Storage.
- Monitoring of Manufacturers product lifecycle announcements – Keeping up to date with all changes announced by the Original Manufacturer and creating a strategy that enables you to mitigate the end of production before it happens.
- Relationships with Suppliers – Build relationships with suppliers and distributors to secure your access to hard-to-find components.
If you have not planned ahead and need to source replacement parts for your products, then you need to talk to a company like Force Technologies who has been in the obsolete semiconductor business for over 38 years. Not only can they produce solutions for you and ensure they meet your quality standards they can also find information that you might have struggled to locate.
Force Technologies have detailed data sheets going back decades which may not be available online. We recently took delivery of a stock of old data books which arrived in our offices last week. These data books are worth a lot of money and speed up the obsolescence planning process massively if used correctly. You just need to know where to look.
How do you replace obsolete Semiconductors?
When semiconductors become obsolete, there are several options open to you. The difference between these options is often price, time and reliability. You should engage with a professional obsolescence company like Force Technologies who have years of experience in sourcing new ones or locating a supply of old components that can be used as replacements.
These options include:
- Drop-in replacements: The manufacturer may replace the part with an improved version that can be used as a direct replacement.
- Authorized continuing source manufacturer: A contractually licensed manufacturer that provides a continuous supply of qualified parts.
- Redesign the system: Eliminate the part or use a different device.
- Custom Design – Force can design a new product from scratch if required.
- Search for replacement chips: Force Technologies can find chips that can perform the same function as the obsolete chips.
What are the dangers of replacing obsolete seminconductors:
It is essential to know that your new supply has been tested to withstand the typical environmental pressures of its predecessor. There are a few common pitfalls when trying to find replacement semiconductors.
counterfeiting
If you try to save money or take short cuts you may end up with counterfeit components, this is a huge problem in the industry. Counterfeiting is rife and results in anything from receiving completely the wrong component through to life-critical situations where the part has not been properly tested. If a semiconductor is used in an airplane the semiconductor will be under constant strain from varying temperatures and pressure ranges. If it has not been tested properly it could fail. If it is the wrong component the results could be disastrous.
Rigorous Testing
Finding reliable obsolete semiconductor suppliers who can help you reliably finish out your projects, builds, or find a solution that fits your needs is important. Part of your selection process should be to establish their quality control and what testing they undertake. At Force Technolgies, quality control is a key policy. We pride ourselves on providing solutions to the highest quality standards.
This policy – deployed through our quality management system – has been established, documented and implemented to fully conform to ISO 9001:2015, AS9100 Rev D, customer-specific applicable law, and regulatory requirements including ITAR compliance wherever they apply to our product services.
You can see the requisite certification here on our website.