19 March 2012

Peregrine achieves ISO/TS 16949 quality system certification

Peregrine Semiconductor Corp of San Diego, CA, USA, a fabless provider of radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs) based on silicon-on-sapphire (SOS), has achieved ISO/TS 16949:2009 certification. The scope of the specification extends to all elements of Peregrine’s systems that it employs to design, produce and deliver its products.

“This certification to the ISO/TS 16949 standard validates our commitment to excellence from development through production,” says Gene Lyons, VP of quality assurance.

The ISO/TS 16949:2009 quality standard was developed by IATF (International Automotive Task Force) members and approved by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) for publication. It is an industry-specific quality management system (QMS) catering to automotive markets with the following objectives: to promote continuous improvement; to emphasize defect prevention; and reduce waste and variation.

Peregrine’s UltraCMOS RFICs are already used in remote keyless entry applications found in vehicle systems worldwide. According to Lyons, the quality demands apply not only to automotive customers but also to those in the telecoms, aerospace, test & measurement, medical and general industrial markets.

“Our goal is to ensure we have robust, repeatable and documented methodologies and systems to consistently produce products at a quality level required not only by the automotive industry, but also by leading OEMs in the high-volume wireless market,” Lyons adds.

To maintain the ISO/TS 16949 certification, Peregrine will be required to participate in annual follow-up audits, which will help the firm to “improve against established performance benchmarks, and ensure customer satisfaction,” says Lyons.

Tags: Peregrine Semiconductor

Visit: www.psemi.com