Automotive Semiconductor Unit Level Traceability (ULT)

Automotive component traceability requirements have existed for several decades. Generally, traceability refers to tracking and tracing each component that comprises every sub-system in a car. Traditionally, this has been achieved with direct part marking on mechanical or electronic components using 1D or 2D barcodes or radio frequency identification (RFID). The motivation for component traceability from automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their Tier 1 suppliers arises from either warranty reasons (field failures) or 0 km or 0 hr (infant mortality) failures. Since vehicle recalls are costly, this process was developed to expeditiously capture the origins of the critical components. The commonly used functional safety standard ISO 26262 created by the automotive industry mandates traceability. The traceability underpinning ISO 26262 traces hardware, software and firmware back to the system-level design, validation and test reports.
The two key automotive application segments - advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and vehicle electrification - are expected to undergo significant innovation enabling autonomous and electric vehicles. In addition, several mission-critical safety systems such as electronic stability control, lane departure warning, anti-lock brakes, adaptive cruise control and traction control can reduce the number of traffic accidents. All of these require complex electronic components that include high-speed processors, memory, controllers and sensors to ensure the reliability and safety of a vehicle. To ensure stringent automotive requirements for complicated advanced packages such as system-in-package (SiP), a sophisticated ULT may be required. For example, RFID cards are assigned to each assembly lot to track the product through the assembly process and ensure that the product follows specified manufacturing flow. With these multiple chip modules, tracking wafer ID, die position (co-ordinates), passive components and equipment used will be critical to maintain automotive quality. As a leading automotive supplier, Amkor offers Unit Level Traceability (ULT) that provides information from an assembled unit electrically or through a 2D barcode. Amkor’s ULT system ensures that the product meets ‘zero defect’ quality standards, while providing real-time access to the manufacturing information. By doing so, Amkor aims to increase customer satisfaction and meet compliance mandates.
Dr. Ajay Sattu, Sr Manager, Automotive Strategic Marketing & Business Development
Originally presented at MEPTEC Supply Chain Security Workshop 2021