19 January 2011

Deposition and inspection equipment maker Altatech gains ISO 9001 certification

Altatech Semiconductor S.A., which was incorporated in 2004 and makes wafer inspection and analysis, liquid-vaporization chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and nanoprinting equipment, has gained ISO 9001:2008 certification for all operations at its headquarters in Montbonnot, near Grenoble (France’s ‘epicenter’ of microelectronics production) in south-eastern France.

The quality-management certification covers all of the firm’s design, development, manufacturing and sales activities concerning equipment and associated services for global microelectronics markets.

Developed by the International Organization for Standardization, the ISO 9000 family of standards represents an internationally recognized protocol for quality management. In particular, ISO 9001:2008 focuses on enhancing customer satisfaction and establishing products’ compliance with the requirements of users and regulatory groups.

Over the past 18 months, Altatech’s research, development and production processes for its wafer-inspection, CVD and inkjet-printing products were assessed by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, an accredited ISO organization. All non-conformities were analyzed and resolved, with key performance indicators put into place to avoid any recurrence.

“With this ISO certification, Altatech can improve its product quality and performance faster,” says manufacturing & services director Fabienne Guennou. “Implementing this continuous improvement approach further increases our operating efficiencies while also reducing waste,” he adds. “Our closed-loop management system enables a more responsive organization to increase customer satisfaction.”

To support its continuous improvement program, Altatech conducted employee training and hired an in-house quality assurance manager and external consultants. Evaluations of its quality management systems are conducted each month by in-house personnel and annually by external auditors.

The ISO 9001:2008 certification is scheduled for renewal in three years.

Tags: Altatech Wafer inspection

Visit: www.altatech-sc.com