Reliability

Which correctly describes the general approach to failure analysis?

  1. AFirst break open the package and observe the inside
  2. BDiscard failed parts immediately and examine new ones
  3. CFirst perform nondestructive analysis such as visual inspection, X-ray imaging and electrical measurement, then destructive analysis such as decapsulation and cross-sectioning
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Answer: C. First perform nondestructive analysis such as visual inspection, X-ray imaging and electrical measurement, then destructive analysis such as decapsulation and cross-sectioning

If destructive analysis is done first, traces of the failure may be lost and the cause may become impossible to determine. Failure sites are therefore narrowed down first with nondestructive analysis such as visual inspection, X-ray imaging, ultrasonic inspection and electrical measurement, and destructive analysis such as decapsulation and cross-sectioning follows.

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More Reliability questions

  1. What is the common name for the phenomenon in which, at gold wire to aluminum pad bonds, intermetallic compounds and voids grow during long storage at high temperature, weakening the bond?
  2. In which environment is the rate of soft errors caused by cosmic-ray neutrons higher?
  3. Which standard is widely used as the reliability qualification standard for automotive integrated circuits?
  4. When the failure rate λ is constant, which expression gives the probability of no failure up to time t (reliability) R(t)?
  5. What is the mean time to failure (MTTF) of a part with a constant failure rate of 1×10⁻⁵ per hour?