The Hidden Reliability Cost of Degraded Components in Electronic Products: Overcoming the Challenges with 100% Inspection
The Hidden Reliability Cost of Degraded Components in Electronic Products: Overcoming the Challenges with 100% Inspection
Eyal Weiss
Reliability Cost of Degraded Components: Degraded components are a significant contributor to the higher-than-theoretical fail rate in electronic products. But they can be avoided through 100% inspection and analysis. The use of AI and big data in the inspection process can greatly enhance the detection of degradation and improve overall product reliability. Reliability and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) are critical factors that determine the quality and longevity of electronic products. Electronic systems can experience a variety of degradation mechanisms over time, including corrosion, contamination, and material degradation, among others. These degradation mechanisms can reduce the MTBF of the components and, in turn, the overall MTBF of the product.
Introduction
Reliability Cost of Degraded Components
In this article, we’ll discuss the impact of degraded components on the MTBF of electronic products, with a focus on the difference between ground benign (GB) and ground mobile (GM) conditions. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll assume that the server rooms are GB and the automotive environment is 80% GM and 20% GB. We’ll examine the case of a board that contains 5 Bill of Materials (BOM) lines: 100 Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC), 100 chip resistors, 1 Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), 1 regulator, and 1 EEPROM. A conventional MTBF calculation under server room conditions yields a fail rate of 0.062% after one year, while in automotive conditions, it is 0.72%. A single component’s degradation, whether reducing its lifespan by a factor of 150 in a server room or 50 in an automotive setting, leads to a significant increase in the fail rate.
Under GB conditions, if a single MLCC degrades, the fail rate after one year increases to 0.069%. Similarly, under GM conditions, the fail rate rises to 0.79%. Similarly, a single degraded chip resistor will result in a fail rate of 0.208% in server room conditions and 1.49% in automotive conditions. Under server room conditions, if a single ADC degrades, the fail rate reaches 0.208%. Similarly, under automotive conditions, the fail rate rises to 1.49% due to a single degraded ADC.. It is important to note that these degraded components will not be detected during the production stage testing as the failure rate is only observed over many years. These degraded components will have a statistical impact on the overall MTBF of the product and its fail rate in the field, depending on the environmental stress it undergoes.
Industry
Reliability Cost of Degraded Components
The industry-standard fail rate of approximately 1.5% within a year in office environments is mostly due to degraded components that are already in the products. The theoretical fail rate of 0.06% suggests that the actual fail rate of 1.5% already includes degraded components. By controlling the quality of materials used in the production process, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of degraded components and improve the overall MTBF of the product.
Reliability Cost of Degraded Components
The reliability of an electronic product is highly dependent on the quality of its components. Although sampling the quality of components is a common practice, it is not sufficient to guarantee the reliability of the product. In order to avoid degraded components, it is necessary to perform a 100% inspection of all components. Advanced technology, such as AI and big data, can be used to examine the bottom side and soldering leads of all components placed on the boards. This process enables the detection of evidence of degradation such as oxidation, mold, slivering, counterfeit, and more.Performing a 100% inspection ensures the utilization of only high-quality components in electronic products. This, in turn, enhances their reliability and reduces the failure rate in the field.
Conclusion
Reliability Cost of Degraded Components
In conclusion, it is crucial not to ignore the significant impact of degraded components on the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of electronic products. By controlling the quality of all the materials used in the production process, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of degraded components and return to the theoretical values of MTBF.