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Certification and Functional Safety Testing of safety related Semiconductor Elements such as Intellectual Properties (IPs) and Integrated Circuits (ICs) are increasingly requested by system integrators and chip designers.

SGS-TÜV Saar offers various certification marks that have been developed for different requirements and provide confidence for the entire supply chain in semiconductor development. These services also include IPs that fall into the area of artificial intelligence, e.g. special DSPs that accelerate corresponding computing operations through parallel data processing.

Here an excerpt from our services:

  • GAP analyses for conformity of semiconductor development processes with ISO 26262 and other standards (e.g. IEC 61508)
    Consulting for the implementation of ISO 26262 (or IEC 61508) compliant processes in semiconductor development.
    Our experts support you in creating appropriate documents that cover the requirements of the "Work Products" listed by ISO 26262. In doing so, we draw on many years of experience and on existing templates of these Work Products, which accelerate the implementation of the development process extension. This set of templates (Safety Case Template Kit) can also be purchased separately without associated consulting services.
  • Semiconductor-specific safety analyses
    Here, our experts look at any type of design in detail according to standards (including ISO 26262, TR 62380, SN 29500) and evaluate possible failure modes including their impact on previously defined safety targets. Should the analysis reveal that additional safety measures are necessary, we will also provide you with suggestions for suitable measures, including an estimate of the diagnostic coverage (DC).
  • Process audits for functional safety
    An ISO 26262-compliant development process minimizes the risk of systematic errors during development. Our auditors evaluate the underlying development process during an audit and point out any deviations from the requirements of the standard. Once those findings have been eliminated, a process certificate highlights the conformity of the process to the standard and significantly reduces the effort of an assessment in a follow-up project.
  • Functional safety assessments according to ISO 26262 (or IEC 61508), including certification of ICs and IPs "ASIL x ready" & "ASIL x process capability".
    • In numerous development projects, the question of the robustness of the design against random HW faults plays a central role. On the one hand, the circuit developers would like to have an assessment of the implemented safety measures as early as possible, on the other hand, the product managers would like to be able to provide their customers with positive feedback on the suitability of the design for safety-critical applications as early as possible. The "ASIL x ready" label is ideally suited for this purpose, as it only requires the existence of 2 documents (FMEDA & Safety Manual).
    • Supplementary evaluation of the underlying development process of QM or "legacy" products. Optimally, "ASIL x ready" certified IPs/ICs are rounded off by an "ASIL x process capability" certificate. This supplementary certificate highlights that the product, which was not developed on an ISO 26262-compliant development process, receives proof of suitability for use in safety-relevant applications.
  • Certification of full conformity to ISO 26262 - "ASIL x compliant".
    The main aspect of ISO 26262 is the development of products that are compliant with the contents of the standard. In this case, we offer the "ASIL x compliant" certificate, which assumes that the IP / IC has been specifically intended for use in safety-relevant applications from the initial design concept. This also includes full conformity of the development process to ISO 26262 and a practiced safety culture within the company. An "ASIL x compliant" certificate indicates compliance with fully comprehensive safety requirements, but also requires the greatest effort during development. In recent years, the demand for this type of certification has increased continuously.
  • Evaluation and certification of IPs and ICs as Safety Element out of context (SEooC) according to ISO 26262, part 10
    Many developments in the semiconductor industry are so-called SEooCs, since no target customer is defined at the time of development. Here, the definition of application-specific safety targets at IP/IC level is of central importance. Our experts support you in the elaboration of these goals and in the refinement of these goals into HW/SW requirements that affect the product to be developed.
  • Certification of tools for AI Architectural Design and Data Modeling