ROHM’s Product Longevity Program
04/23/2024
Semiconductors have become an essential part of daily life.
Virtually all electronic and electrical products, from industrial equipment and infrastructure to cars and home appliances, contain a myriad of semiconductor devices.
Especially in recent years, the number of semiconductors installed continues to grow as automation and control functions advances, and it is not unusual for a single industrial device to contain several hundred semiconductor devices, increasing to several thousand in EVs.
In addition to performance and cost, there are always questions that concern developers and engineers, such as
What if this part is no longer available?
Can we expect stable supply for the long term?
Is the company located in a secure country?
when designing new products.
This time, we will talk about ROHM’s
Product Longevity Program (PLP) that addresses these concerns, allowing customers to select products with greater confidence.
Contents
- 1. Current state of the semiconductor industry
- 2. The need for a long-term supply program
- 3. Features of ROHM’s Product Longevity Program
- 4. Frequently asked questions from customers
- 1) Are products other than for industrial equipment covered under the Product Longevity Program?
- 2) Will the supply of products that have reached the end of the Product Longevity Program immediately stop?
- 3) Can the supply period be changed once set?
- 4) What happens to existing products when new or alternative products are released?
- 5) What will happen to the program in the event of a downturn in the market or other production situations?
- 5. Conclusion
- Product Information and Related Links
1. Current state of the semiconductor industry
The semiconductor industry is undergoing rapid changes with the emergence of new semiconductor materials such as SiC (Silicon Carbide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride).
As new devices are being developed with these high-performance semiconductor materials, many customers face the dilemma of whether to continue using the currently adopted semiconductor devices even as new and better devices become available.
For example, there is always a concern that a product may be discontinued due to failure or maintenance, or that it may be discontinued at the time of mass production even though evaluation has been completed in the past. Therefore, it is not uncommon for developers and engineers to avoid using products at End of Life (EOL) or with similar risks in new designs, especially in long life cycle applications such as industrial equipment.
What's more, in recent years significant changes in the social environment, including deteriorating international relations, a declining labor force, and the spread of coronavirus, have had a significant impact on the semiconductor industry, resulting in an increasingly unstable supply that makes it necessary to take into account the production situation when selecting semiconductor devices.
ROHM is working on a Product Longevity Program to eliminate these customer concerns, burdens, and risks as much as possible, allowing customers to select products with confidence.
2. The need for a long-term supply program
The PLP is an initiative for managing and disclosing the planned periods of stable supply for select products and services.
Particularly for semiconductor devices used in long-life applications such as industrial equipment and infrastructure where continuous, stable, long-term supply is required.
ROHM has always strived to supply products for as long as possible. However, this program was developed based on a relationship of trust with customers.
Our Product Longevity Program maintains consistency by publicly disclosing information, ensuring a smooth, worry-free process for the consideration and adoption of our products.
3. Features of ROHM’s Product Longevity Program
ROHM’s PLP covers a wide range of parts.
Applicable products include small signal devices, LEDs, and thermal printheads, with a focus on power and analog products. We offer a top-class lineup for a domestic semiconductor manufacturer, comparable to that of global majors.
The number of products covered under the PLP exceeds 1,300 part numbers.
A supply period of 10 to 20 years is set for covered products, taking into consideration production capabilities, equipment, and material procurement conditions, with the supply status and supply period for each product posted on ROHM’s website. Posted information is updated every April with new products and supply periods.
4. Frequently asked questions from customers
1) Are products other than for industrial equipment covered under the Product Longevity Program?
This applies to all products handled by ROHM.
New products will be added to the list during the annual update in April.
2) Will the supply of products that have reached the end of the Product Longevity Program period immediately stop?
After the PLP period expires, the normal supply system will take effect. Production will not end immediately.
3) Can the supply period be changed once set?
Yes. It can be changed once a year in April.
For example, there are 3 possibilities when renewing a product with a supply period of 10 years set in 2023:
① The remaining term shows 9 years in 2024
② The supply period is maintained at 10 years
③ The period increases
Please note that the number of years displayed in the remaining term cannot decrease by multiple years.
4) What happens to existing products when new or alternative products are released?
Existing products will not be removed from the PLP even if new or replacement products are released. Therefore, please adopt, considering that products will not be discontinued even after the indicated period.
5) What will happen to the program in the event of a downturn in the market or other production situations?
While we will of course make every effort to manufacture products during the disclosed supply period, we reserve the right to change or discontinue this program due to natural disasters or other unavoidable circumstances.
5. Conclusion
At ROHM, ‘Quality is our top priority at all times. Our objective is to contribute to the advancement and progress of our culture through a consistent supply, under all circumstances, of high quality products in large volumes to the global market.’ Based on this corporate objective, ROHM is releasing a Product Longevity Program that enables worry-free adoption of our products. Therefore, feel free to utilize ROHM’s PLP with confidence.
*Usage Precautions
The supply period indicated in this program is intended as a guide only.
To ensure stable supply, we may switch to another (equivalent) product during the program period. In addition, we reserve the right to make changes or additions to product specifications, raw materials, manufacturing processes/methods/locations, etc. during the program period.
Please note that this program is subject to change or cancellation due to unavoidable circumstances, such as production difficulties or extremely low quantities caused by natural disasters.
Product Information and Related Links
ROHM Further Focuses on the Industrial Equipment Market by Launching a ‘Product Longevity Program’
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