Satisfying mission assurance requirements for the most critical space programs, Microchip Technology’s (Nasdaq: MCHP) Radiation-Tolerant (RT) RTG4™ Field- Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) with lead-free flip-chip bumps have earned the Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) Class V status. As designated by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), QML Class V is the highest level of qualification for space components and a necessary step to satisfy mission assurance requirements on the most critical space missions such as human-rated, deep space and national security programs. Because QML qualifications are standardized based on specific performance and quality requirements governed by the DLA, customers can streamline their design and certification processes by using QML-qualified products.

In 2018, RTG4 FPGAs became the first RT FPGAs offering more than 150,000 logic elements to achieve a QML Class V qualification, and this next-generation solution with lead-free flip-chip bumps is the first of its kind to achieve QML Class V status. In advanced flip-chip package construction, such as that used in the RTG4 FPGA, flip-chip bumps are utilized to connect the silicon die and the package substrate. Lead-free bump material will help extend the longevity of the product, which is critical to space missions.

“This is another milestone for our RTG4 FPGAs that will provide customers with added confidence in designing these devices in space flight systems, while allowing them to take advantage of our high-reliability, zero-configuration-upset and low-power consumption FPGAs,” said Bruce Weyer, corporate vice president for Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “For more than 60 years, Microchip solutions have powered space flight missions, and we are dedicated to product longevity and providing the highest quality solutions.”