Certification Upgrade at Microchip's French Facility: Upside Ahead?
Microchip Technology MCHP announced that the Nantes facility in France has expanded the scope of its Qualified Manufacturers List (“QML”) MIL-PRF-38535 certification to include QML Class Y. This underscores the company’s commitment to providing high-reliability semiconductor solutions for aerospace and defense applications. The facility, which previously held QML Classes V and Q certifications, has now added Class Y to its certification portfolio.
Since 1999, the Nantes site has maintained QML certifications for Classes Q and V, supporting stringent space and defense mission requirements. The addition of Class Y certification extends the facility’s capabilities to include advanced packaging technologies, such as non-hermetic solutions. This enhancement enables greater integration levels and supports the sophisticated semiconductor architectures required for next-generation military and space programs.
The Class Y certification further strengthens the Nantes facility’s role within Microchip’s European manufacturing network for high-reliability devices. In addition to this certification, the site holds ESCC QML and AS9100:2018 certifications, making it one of the company’s most highly qualified manufacturing locations for aerospace and defense solutions.
The Nantes facility is also equipped to support the qualification and testing of Microchip’s PIC64 High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (PIC64-HPSC) family, a series of radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant 64-bit microprocessors designed for space exploration. This capability enhances the company’s ability to address evolving customer requirements related to electrical testing, qualification and long-term mission assurance in demanding operating environments.
The certification upgrade at Microchip’s Nantes facility is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the aerospace and defense market by broadening its portfolio of qualified high-reliability semiconductor solutions. With the addition of QML Class Y certification, the facility can support advanced packaging technologies, including non-hermetic devices, enabling higher integration levels and more sophisticated chip designs. This expanded capability will help Microchip address the evolving requirements of next-generation military and space programs, enhance its manufacturing flexibility in Europe, and create additional opportunities in high-growth, mission-critical applications.
Microchip maintains qualification facilities in both the United States and Europe, each certified to specific military standards and classes aligned with their respective product focus areas. In the United States, the company’s San Jose, CA, facility is qualified to MIL-PRF-38535 Classes Q, V and Y for advanced digital and space applications, while its Garden Grove, CA, facility supports Class Q certification for analog and mixed-signal devices.
In April this year, Microchip announced that it received IEC 62443-4-1 Maturity Level 2 certification from UL Solutions ULS, validating that the product development process adheres to globally recognized secure-by-design principles. The certification provides independent assurance that the company follows a mature and repeatable cybersecurity framework.UL Solutions’ certification verifies that Microchip embeds cybersecurity measures throughout the entire hardware and software development lifecycle—from the initial design stage to product end-of-life—and consistently implements these security practices across its business units as well as its global design and manufacturing facilities. UL Solutions is a provider of safety, software and advisory services worldwide
Taking a Look at Another Certification Wins
According to an EE Times Asia report, Teledyne e2v, a subsidiary of Teledyne TechnologiesTDY, expanded its portfolio of QML Class Y-qualified products, including the EV12AQ600 space-qualified analog-to-digital converter. The certification framework enabled Teledyne to incorporate advanced packaging and manufacturing technologies that were not fully supported under traditional QML Class V requirements. This helped Teledyne e2v address next-generation space-system requirements while ensuring reliability for long-duration missions.
MCHP’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of MCHP have gained in double digits (% wise) so far this year, but lagged the Zacks Semiconductor-Analog-and-Mixed industry’s return.
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In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S), Microchip is trading at a discount compared with its industry.
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MCHP’s Zacks Rank
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