US wafer plants attain green standard

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Apr 21, 2004

Cypress Semiconductor Corp has achieved ISO14001 certification for all its wafer manufacturing sites in California, Minnesota and Texas.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp has achieved ISO14001 certification for all its wafer manufacturing sites in California, Minnesota and Texas, after an extensive audit by SGS Systems and Services Certification, a qualified third party auditor employed by Cypress.

This certification confirms Cypress's commitment to combine excellent business practices with environmentally sound processes and products.

Cypress's Philippines test and assembly facility has been ISO14001 certified since May 2001.

ISO14001 is a standard published by the International Organisation for Standardisation in 1996 that establishes a co-ordinated framework of controls to manage environmental protection in an organisation.

The standard specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system (EMS).

Cypress's EMS encourages corporate practices that minimise the environmental impact of all aspects of manufacturing including the elimination of cadmium from its process.

Cypress also offers lead-free packaging for many of its products.

"ISO certification provides customers with verification that Cypress's processes and systems are fully compliant with the ISO environmental standards, enabling our customers to meet their end market demands", said Francis Courreges, Cypress's Vice President for Quality.

"In addition, the conservation and recycling programs help increase shareholder value in the company".

"Cypress has continued to improve the way it manages environmental issues through systematic and sustainable methods", said Marty O'Connell, Certification Manager and ISO14001 Product Manager for SGS.

"Cypress has implemented a number of programs to encourage 'green' behaviour including: water reduction; recycling; use of public transportation; and installing a 335kW DC solar rooftop array on two of its San Jose buildings, the largest solar array in Silicon Valley".