Qualification and reliability tests: What are we doing and why?

The semiconductor industry and its customers perform component qualification tests and reliability tests that are reasonably similar if not the same due to the standards in the industry and tradition. Some of the tests are not reliability tests, but robustness tests and the term reliability is often misused. As semiconductor technology has advanced and electronic packaging has changed the tests and criteria have not been changed at the same rate. The spectrum of applications has grown so that in some cases the tests are overly stringent or testing for the wrong failure mechanisms. In other cases the tests do not adequately reflect the level or length of time necessary to ensure successful applications. This paper will attempt to challenge the conventional tests and acceptance of those tests and to encourage the reader to look at semiconductor tests in a different light. A proposed method is made to use the tests in place in a more productive manner.