On July 1st, Toshiba Corporation's Semiconductor Company and Storage Products Company consolidated to form Semiconductor & Storage Products Company.This page describes reliability information of semiconductor products.

General Usage Considerations

[As of April, 2011]

Storage

General Packaged Products

Avoid storage locations where devices may be exposed to water (wet, rain, dew condensation, etc) and/or direct sunlight.
Follow the precautions printed on the packing label of the device for transportation and storage.
Keep the storage location at temperature and relative humidity within a range of 5°C to 35°C and 40% to 70%, respectively.
Do not store the products in locations with poisonous gases (especially corrosive gases) and/or in dusty conditions.
Store the products in locations with minimal temperature fluctuations. Rapid temperature changes during storage can cause dew condensation, resulting in lead oxidation or corrosion, which will deteriorate the solderability of leads.
When restoring devices after removal from their packing, use anti-static containers.
Do not allow loads to be applied directly to devices while they are in storage.
If devices have been stored for more than two years under normal storage conditions, it is recommended that you check the leads for ease of soldering prior to use.

Moisture-Proof Packing

Moisture-proof packing should be used while taking into careful consideration the handling methods specified for each packing type. If the specified procedures are not followed, the quality and reliability of the devices may be deteriorated. This section describes the general precautions for handling moisture-proof packing. Since the details may differ from device to device, refer to the respective technical datasheets or databooks during handling.

Moisture-Proof Packing General Precautions

Follow the precautions printed on the packing label of the device for transportation and storage.
For chip products, follow the respective specifications.

Do not toss or drop device packing. The aluminum laminated bag may be damaged, resulting in a loss in airtightness.
Keep the storage environment at 5°C to 30°C and relative humidity at 90% or less unless otherwise specified for each device. Also, use devices within 12 months from the sealed date printed in the Toshiba standard label.

If the 12-month storage period has been exceeded, or if the 30% humidity indicator is pink when the package is opened, remove any moisture under the conditions described in the table below. The effective usage period without moisture removal after the packing has been opened and the product has been stored at 5°C to 30°C and relative humidity at 70% or less is listed on the moisture-proof package. If the effective usage period has been exceeded, or if the packing has been stored in a high-humidity environment or an environment that produces dew condensation, remove any existing moisture.

Packing Type	Moisture Removal Applicability/Procedure
Tray	If the packing indicates a "Heatproof" or temperature label, bake at 125°C for 20 hours. (Some devices may require a different amount of time.) If the packing does not indicate a "Heatproof" or temperature label, transfer the devices to an anti-static container that bears a "Heatproof" or temperature label and then bake. The moisture-proof package itself is not heat resistance. Be sure to remove the devices from the package prior to baking.
Magazine	Transfer devices to antistatic containers bearing the "Heatproof" or temperature label, and then bake at 125°C for 20 hours. (Some devices may require a different amount of time.) The moisture-proof package itself is not heat resistance. Be sure to remove the devices from the package prior to baking.
Tape	Transfer devices to antistatic containers bearing the "Heatproof" or temperature label, and then bake at 125°C for 20 hours. (Some devices may require a different amount of time.) The moisture-proof package itself is not heat resistance. Be sure to remove the devices from the package prior to baking.

When removing the moisture from the devices, protect the devices from breakdown from static electricity.
Moisture indicators (for your reference)
Moisture indicators detect the approximate ambient humidity level at a standard temperature of 25°C.
Figure 1 shows 1-point indicators.

Figure 1 Humidity Indicator
Do not allow loads to be applied directly to devices while they are in storage.