Medical Devices: Die and Wafer Banking

In search of a supply chain partner capable of managing long-term die and wafer banking, a surgical device manufacturer selected Partstat to support their product's lifecycle.

After a formal site visit and audit of the Partstat facility in Winter Springs, FL, this surgical device manufacturer selected Partstat for their critical die and wafer banking need for a 10-year term.

One of the strategies this manufacturer employs to avoid component obsolescence is to purchase and store high quantities of raw die and wafer. To ensure that the die remains in optimal condition until needed, it is imperative that it be stored in dry cabinets specially designed for moisture-sensitive materials.

Partstat goes a step beyond the industry standard for such equipment by offering customers the ability to store their die and wafer in desiccant dry storage cabinets. Partstat’s dry cabinets utilize zeolite to achieve — and maintain — a relative humidity of 0.5 percent with a recovery time of under three minutes. Standard nitrogen-infused cabinets, by comparison, can only achieve a relative humidity between six and ten percent with a 10-12 minute recovery time. This type of critical inventory is also stored in the indestructible Partstat Vault, providing an additional level of security to provide best-in-class business continuity for customers who have irreplaceable components.

This manufacturer’s proactive approach to mitigate component obsolescence and thereby protect their downstream revenue was effectively solidified by utilizing Partstat’s Semiconductor Vault Storage solution.

Partstat will store as much inventory as the customer requires for as long as needed — even 10+ years — as well as fulfill it anywhere in the world at the customer’s request. All die and wafer handling and packaging is performed by a team of highly-trained storage specialists in accordance with the strictest IPC and ISO-certified standards.