How parts fail: A fundamental explanation for any part failure exists, and it's up to the failure analyst to find the cause with modern sleuthing

Abstract

Gives an understanding of how semiconductor and other electronic parts fail is essential to improving the reliability of devices as well as that of the systems in which they are used. Such failure analyses help identify device failure modes, mechanisms, and stress factors that influence degradation. A device can fail in a catastrophic, degradation, or intermittent mode. Electrical failures are usually opens, shorts, or parameters out of specification. The failure mechanism is the basic chemical or physical change that results in an identifiable failure mode. Parts failures can be labeled as early fallout , stress-related, and wearout. Early failures are often linked to design and manufacturing flaws or to reliability screen test escapes but can be stress-related. Normal operating stresses cause most failures that occur after the early ones. Wearout failures are linked to aging and deterioration.