Sarah Shen

As the semiconductor industry continues to advance, effective quality management is increasingly essential. The SEMI Quality Benchmarking Consortium (QBC) brings together leading companies to exchange best practices, benchmark performance, and promote collective improvement across the global semiconductor landscape. The last QBC meeting was hosted by Bill Lechten of Micron at their headquarters in Boise, Idaho. Representatives from GlobalFoundries, Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors, and Texas Instruments came together for two days of in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing.The session began with an overview of Micron’s global business and manufacturing footprint. The company reported record revenue of $37 billion in 2025 and currently hold more than 60,000 patents. Micron is investing approximately $150 billion in U.S.-based DRAM manufacturing, which is expected to generate around 90,000 direct and indirect jobs. The QBC operates on a “give-to-get” philosophy where members must actively contribute survey responses and participate in open discussions to access shared benchmarking data. This meeting focused on three topics: risk management, customer return, and product change notification. Participants presented their approaches, shared lessons learned, and engaged in roundtable discussions to identify best-known methods and address common challenges. Customer Returns and Failure AnalysisThe group reviewed processes for handling customer returns and failure analysis. Discussions covered escalation protocols, data-driven versus physical failure analysis, sampling strategies, and customer acceptance challenges. Members shared approaches to closure criteria, complaint prioritization, and using FA and complaint data for trend analysis and continuous improvement. Local support models and the balance between cost, proximity, and specialized lab capabilities were also key topics.Product Change Notifications The consortium explored industry-wide PCN practices, focusing on notification volume, approval processes, and customer expectations. Companies highlighted distinctions between PCN (requiring approval) and CIN (informational) and the challenges of handling multiple changes per notification. Participants shared strategies for managing customer approvals, sample delivery, and internal tracking, including phased notifications and customized communication. Standardization efforts were discussed, such as adopting the JDEC XML schema, while balancing operational efficiency with contractual obligations and customer requirements.Risk ManagementMembers discussed structured approaches to quality and qualification risk, including product grade classification and risk assessment methodologies like FMEA and QRA. Emphasis was placed on assessing end-user system complexity, mission profiles, and application-specific requirements, especially for automotive and AI workloads. Organizations shared practices for transparent customer communication, balancing speed and risk, managing residual risk, and integrating qualification with change management. AI and data analytics were highlighted as emerging tools to support predictive risk assessment and continuous improvement.AI and Digitalization in Quality ManagementArtificial intelligence is becoming a growing focus for semiconductor quality teams. Companies shared early-stage AI initiatives. Based on survey results and discussion, consortium members agreed to establish a working group to explore AI uses cases in risk assessment for change management and new product introduction. Looking AheadWith growing complexity in semiconductor technologies, industry collaboration is vital. Through open discussions and benchmarking, the SEMI Quality Benchmark Consortium enables companies to share knowledge, identify best practices, and address common challenges. The consortium will continue its work at the upcoming meeting to be hosted by Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas. (From Right to Left) – Karim Somani (SEMI), Sarah Shen (SEMI), Mark da Silva (SEMI), Ivo Clerici (GlobalFoundries), Wesley Hirsch (TI), Roberto Lissoni (STMicroelecetronics), Lou Cerra (NXP), Jens Luepke (Infineon), Bill Lechten (Micron), Fern Yoon (Texas Instruments)Sarah Shen is Senior Coordinator, MEMS Sensors Industry Group at SEMI.

The semiconductor industry continues to push the boundaries of innovation, making quality management more critical than ever. To address these challenges, SEMI Quality Benchmarking Consortium (QBC) brings together leading companies to share best practices, benchmark performance, and drive collective improvement across the global semiconductor ecosystem.The latest QBC meeting was hosted by Roberto Lissoni of STMicroelectronics at their Agrate site near Milan, Italy. Representatives from Bosch, GlobalFoundries, Infineon, Micron, NXP, and Texas Instruments gathered for two days of deep discussion and knowledge exchange. (From Right to Left) – Roberto Lissoni (STMicroelecetronics), Giorgio Cesana (STMicroelectronics), Fern Yoon (Texas Instruments), Jens Luepke (Infineon), Mark da Silva (SEMI), Kerstin Nocke (Bosch), John Lepper (GlobalFoundries), Bill Lechten (Micron), Lou Cerra (NXP)With over 5,000 employees, ST’s Agrate facility is the company’s largest in Italy, with a strong commitment to innovation through university collaborations. The site includes both 200mm and 300mm wafer fabs, R D centers, and product development teams. STMicroelectronics Agrate, ItalyThe QBC operates on a “Give-to-Get” philosophy: members must actively contribute survey responses and participate in open discussions to access shared benchmarking data. This meeting focused on four topics: zero defect customer satisfaction, safe launch, knowledge management, and organizational comparisons. Participants presented their approaches, shared lessons learned, and engaged in roundtable discussions to identify best-known methods and address common challenges. Zero Defect and Continuous ImprovementParticipants explored the evolving definition of “zero defect,” emphasizing that it’s not about literal perfection, but about meeting customer commitments and requirements. Quality programs are multi-year, cross-functional initiatives, often embedded in broader operational excellence campaigns. Companies leverage KPIs such as parts per million, cost of nonconformance, and customer satisfaction. They tie these metrics to incentive programs and executive reporting. Continuous improvement is driven by Lean, Six Sigma, and employee engagement, with a strong focus on early detection (“shift left”), cross-functional teams, and digital tools for analytics and feedback. Customer Satisfaction and ScorecardsCustomer scorecards and surveys are central to measuring satisfaction, with processes varying by region and account type. Most organizations use a mix of manual and automated systems to collect, review, and act on scorecard data, supplementing these with relationship and transactional surveys. AI and predictive analytics are emerging tools for anticipating customer feedback and improving proactive management, though data security remains a priority. Safe Launch and Risk ManagementThe QBC companies shared decision criteria, risk assessment methodologies (FMEA, TRA), and enhanced control plans for new products and technologies. Cross-functional collaboration is key, with product quality managers accountable for planning and reporting. Digitalization and integration with manufacturing execution systems (MES) are advancing, and there’s growing interest in leveraging AI for risk assessment and process optimization. Knowledge Management and Lessons LearnedKnowledge management remains a challenge, with most companies relying on distributed databases, expert teams, and informal networks. They are piloting structured lessons learned forums, audit systems, and semantic search tools to improve findability and reuse. Effective knowledge management happens when insights are embedded directly into business processes, supported by continuous review and governance. Looking Ahead: AI, Predictive Quality, and ExpansionThe consortium plans to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, predictive quality management, and secure data sharing through dedicated sessions and working groups, with a focus on practical applications and insights from external subject matter experts.Read about the first QBC meeting hosted by Infineon here. Sarah Shen is Senior Coordinator, MEMS Sensors Industry Group at SEMI.

The semiconductor industry is at the forefront of technological innovation, with rapid advancements in recent years. As a result, the need for high-quality products and technologies has become increasingly important. To address this challenge, SEMI has launched the Quality Benchmarking Consortium (QBC), a new initiative dedicated to advancing quality best practices across the global semiconductor industry. Quality is a fundamental requirement for all semiconductor products and technologies. Over the past decade, state-of-the-art quality practices have evolved significantly to keep pace with rapid innovation and technological advancements. However, new challenges have emerged, including qualifying increasingly complex systems, advanced packaging and 2.5/3D integrated systems, and the growing role of AI/ML in manufacturing. Company-to-company benchmarking is a powerful tool for enhancing quality practices. By sharing information, input, and feedback, companies can establish best-known methods (BKMs) to elevate quality best practices across the entire industry. This approach can save time and money, while also driving innovation and improvement. The QBC is open to multinational corporations, including device manufacturers, fabless device makers, and foundries, that ship over 100 million units per year and have a high-caliber quality organization. The consortium operates on a "Give-to-Get" philosophy, requiring members to actively participate in discussions and activities. Permitted topics for discussion include working processes, management systems, approaches, and KPIs, driven by global customer trends or internal development. However, off-limit topics include IP and patent-protected quality technical solutions embedded in technologies, packages, design, testing, and software.Figure 1: (From Right to Left) - Georg Talut (Global Foundries), JensLuepke (Infineon), Rutger Wijburg (Infineon), Roberto Lissoni (ST Microelectronics), Marcus Richter (Bosch), Bill Lechten (Micron), Georg Georgakos (Infineon) Mark da Silva (SEMI)The first in-person consortium meeting was hosted by Infineon at its Campeon campus in Munich, Germany, and brought together representatives from Infineon, STMicroelectronics, Bosch, GlobalFoundries, and Micron. The event commenced with a warm welcome from Jens Luepke, Senior Director of Quality Management at Infineon, who introduced the company's global operations, history, and employee support initiatives. Rutger Wijburg, COO at Infineon, outlined the company's strategic focus on decarbonization, digitalization, and revenue growth across key business segments. He shared Infineon's investments in new facilities and emphasized the critical role of quality management in navigating industry challenges such as accelerated qualification cycles, increasing product complexity, and mounting cost pressures. Wijburg encouraged participants to leverage insights from the consortium to enhance quality processes within their own organizations and deliver greater value to customers. In preparation for the first in-person meeting, consortium members were organized into three teams, each addressing a core area of quality management: Design Quality (Robustness), (Quality) Organization Structure and Supplier Quality Management.The Design Quality session at the QBC focused on integrating design quality into the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, covering topics such as accountability, quality metrics, and bug tracking systems. Subject matter experts shared strategies on design quality methodologies, metrics, and verification processes, including the use of generative AI. The Organization Structure session shared existing quality organizational structures and management strategies, including reporting lines, functional responsibilities, and employee training programs. The Supplier Quality Management session addressed procurement practices, inventory management, and supplier qualification, with companies sharing best practices for mitigating material fluctuations and advancing sustainable procurement. Overall, the sessions aimed to share knowledge and best practices to improve design quality, organizational structure, and supplier quality management in the semiconductor industry.The meeting concluded with formal nomination of Roberto Lissoni (STM) and Jens Luepke (Infineon) as QBC co-chairs. The meeting wrapped up with a call to action: Expanding the consortium, planning the next in-person meeting (targeted July’25), and amplifying industry engagement. We're excited to welcome new members to the Quality Benchmarking Consortium! If you're interested in joining the conversation, contact Mark da Silva ([email protected]) or Sarah Shen ([email protected]) to learn more.Sarah Shen is Senior Coordinator, MEMS Sensors Industry Group at SEMI.