Reliability Physics and Its Multidisciplinary Approach in the Development of Electrical and Electronic Products for Test and Measurement

This chapter describes the approach of reliability physics to develop and produce electrical and electronic products with an acceptable level of yield and reliability. Various central issues of this multidiscipline subject like materials characterization, process monitoring, failure analysis, environmental stress testing, reliability prediction, etc. have been discussed. Electronic/Electrical equipment are expected to function in a variety of climates prevailing around the world like tropical/arctic/desert conditions, high altitude, sea atmosphere, transportation hazards, etc. The chapter starts with a section which will cover various effects due to any one or combination of climatic factors that may have impact on products and materials. The potential and significance of accelerated environmental stress testing which has established as a distinct technique is explained. This technique is used to understand wear-out (defect) failure mechanism and for reliability prediction (useful life/actual life time prediction) according to stress level. Mathematical model for reliability prediction is also discussed. This chapter also describes the importance of material characterization techniques for understanding the basic parameters which control material specifications, process monitoring, and product failure analysis. An annexure being inserted as a last part of this chapter which is basically addressed to test and measurement specialists, hence, defined some of the concepts concerned with manufactured products like standardization, test, reliability, maintainability, design, measurements, etc.