Reliability of Electronic Components : A Practical Guide to Electronic Systems Manufacturing

In examining why components fail, this text contributes to the development of electronic and telecommunications component reliability. It addresses the needs of engineers who apply reliability principles in design, manufacture, testing and field service, and summarizes knowledge in the field.

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Definition of reliability.- 1.2 Historical development perspective.- 1.3 Quality and reliability.- 1.4 Economics and optimisation.- 1.5 Probability; basic laws.- 1.5.1 Probability distributions.- 1.5.2 Basic reliability distribution theory.- 1.6 Specific terms.- 1.6.1 The generalised definition of l and MTBF.- 1.7 Failures types.- 1.7.1 Failures classification.- 1.8 Reliability estimates.- 1.9 "Bath-tub" failure curve.- 1.10 Reliability of electronic systems.- 1.10.1 Can the batch reliability be increased?.- 1.10.2 What is the utility of screening tests?.- 1.10.3 Derating technique.- 1.10.4 About the testability of electronic and telecommunication systems.- 1.10.5 Accelerated ageing methods for equipped boards.- 1.10.6 Operational failures.- 1.10.7 FMEA/FMECA method.- 1.10.8 Fault tree analysis (FTA).- 1.10.8.1 Monte Carlo techniques.- 1.10.9 Practical recommendations.- 1.10.10 Component reliability and market economy.- 1.11 Some examples.- References.- 2 State of the Art in Reliability.- 2.1 Cultural features.- 2.1.1 Quality and reliability assurance.- 2.1.2 Total quality management (TQM).- 2.1.3 Building-in reliability (BIR).- 2.1.4 Concurrent engineering (CE).- 2.1.5 Acquisition reform.- 2.2 Reliability building.- 2.2.1 Design for reliability.- 2.2.2 Process reliability.- 2.2.2.1 Technological synergies.- 2.2.3 Screening and burn-in.- 2.2.3.1 Burn-in.- 2.2.3.2 Economic aspects of burn-in.- 2.2.3.3 Other screening tests.- 2.2.3.4 Monitoring the screening.- 2.3 Reliability evaluation.- 2.3.1 Environmental reliability testing.- 2.3.1.1 Synergy of environmental factors.- 2.3.1.2 Temperature cycling.- 2.3.1.3 Behavior in a radiation field.- 2.3.2 Life testing with noncontinous inspection.- 2.3.3 Accelerated testing.- 2.3.3.1 Activation energy depends on the stress level.- 2.3.4 Physics of failure.- 2.3.4.1 Drift, drift failures and drift behaviour.- 2.3.5 Prediction methods.- 2.3.5.1 Prediction methods based on failure physics.- 2.3.5.2 Laboratory versus operational reliability.- 2.4 Standardisation.- 2.4.1 Quality systems.- 2.4.2 Dependability.- References.- 3 Reliability of Passive Electronic Parts.- 3.1 How parts fail.- 3.2 Resistors.- 3.2.1 Some important parameters.- 3.2.2 Characteristics.- 3.2.3 Reasons for inconstant resistors [3.8]...[3.10].- 3.2.3.1 Carbon film resistors (Fig. 3.4).- 3.2.3.2 Metal film resistors.- 3.2.3.3 Composite resistors (on inorganic basis).- 3.2.4 Some design rules.- 3.2.5 Some typical defects of resistors.- 3.2.5.1 Carbon film resistors.- 3.2.5.2 Metal film resistors.- 3.2.5.3 Film resistors.- 3.2.5.4 Fixed wirewound resistors.- 3.2.5.5 Variable wirewound resistors.- 3.2.5.6 Noise behaviour.- 3.3 Reliability of capacitors.- 3.3.1 Introduction.- 3.3.2 Aluminium electrolytic capacitors.- 3.3.2.1 Characteristics.- 3.3.2.2 Results of reliability research studies.- 3.3.2.3 Reliability data.- 3.3.2.4 Main failures types.- 3.3.2.5 Causes of failures.- 3.3.3 Tantalum capacitors.- 3.3.3.1 Introduction.- 3.3.3.2 Structure and properties.- 3.3.3.3 Reliability considerations.- 3.3.3.4 DC/C0 variation with temperature.- 3.3.3.5 The failure rate and the product CU.- 3.3.3.6 Loss factor.- 3.3.3.7 Impedance at 100 Hz.- 3.3.3.8 Investigating the stability of 35 V tantalum capacitor.- 3.3.3.9 The failure rate model.- 3.3.4 Reliability comparison.- 3.3.5 Another reliability comparison.- 3.3.6 Polyester film / foil capacitors.- 3.3.6.1 Introduction.- 3.3.6.2 Life testing.- 3.3.6.3 1 as a function of temperature and load.- 3.3.6.4 Reliability conclusions.- 3.3.7 Wound capacitors.- 3.3.8 Reliability and screening methods [3.37] [3.38].- 3.4 Zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors [3.39]...[3.45].- 3.4.1 Pulse behaviour of ZnO varistors.- 3.4.2 Reliability results.- 3.5 Connectors.- 3.5.1 Specifications profile.- 3.5.2 Elements of a test plan.- References.- 4 Reliability of Diodes.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Semiconductor diodes.- 4.2.1 Structure and properties.- 4.2.2 Reliability tests and results.- 4.2.3 Fail...