A Model for Burn-In Programs for Components with Eliminateable Defects

We consider a component with a random number of defects which can be discovered and corrected during the course of a burn-in program. The failure rate after burn-in is constant (in time) and depends on the number of remaining defects. A sufficient condition is given for a burn-in program to lead to increased mean time to failure; it is given in terms of the prior distribution of the number of defects and the failure rates.     

On optimal burn-in procedures - a generalized model

Burn-in is a manufacturing technique that is intended to eliminate early failures. In this paper, burn-in procedures for a general failure model are considered. There are two types of failure in the general failure model. One is Type I failure (minor failure), which can be removed by a minimal repair or a complete repair; and the other is Type II failure (catastrophic failure), which can be removed only by a complete repair. During the burn-in process, two types of burn-in procedures are considered. In Burn-In Procedure I, the failed component is repaired completely regardless of the type of failure; whereas, in Burn-In Procedure II, only minimal repair is done for the Type I failure, and a complete repair is performed for the Type II failure. Under the model, various additive cost functions are considered. It is assumed that the component before undergoing the burn-in process has a bathtub-shaped failure rate function with the first change point t/sub 1/, and the second change point t/sub 2/. The two burn-in procedures are compared in cases when both the procedures are applicable. It is shown that the optimal burn-in time b/sup */ minimizing the cost function is always before t/sub 1/. It is also shown that a large initial failure rate justifies burn-in, i.e., b/sup */>0. The obtained results are applied to some examples.     

浅谈对集成电路加速寿命试验的认识

老炼、稳态寿命等加速寿命试验是衡量集成电路使用寿命的主要手段。文中简要介绍了集成电路的主要可靠性指标——FIT,呈现集成电路失效特征的"浴盆曲线",以及不同失效阶段的主要影响因素、失效率与时间相关的统计分布特征。在此基础上,文章对老炼和稳态寿命的试验目的进行了说明,并列出稳态寿命试验的等效试验条件表以及通过该试验的集成电路使用寿命的一些参考数据。     

An extended model for optimal burn-in procedures

In this paper, the problem of determining optimal burn-in time is considered under the general failure model. There are two types of failure in the general failure model. One is Type I failure (minor failure) which can be removed by a minimal repair, and the other is Type II failure (catastrophic failure) which can be removed only by a complete repair. In the researches on optimal burn-in, the assumption of a bathtub shaped failure rate function is commonly adopted. In this paper, upper bounds for optimal burn-in times are obtained under a more general assumption on the shape of the failure rate function, which includes the bathtub shaped failure rate function as a special case.     

Minimizing cost-functions related to both burn-in and field-operation under a generalized model

Summary and Conclusions-Burn-in is a method used to improve the quality of products. In field operation, only those units which survived the burn-in procedure will be used. This paper considers various additive cost structures related to both burn-in procedure and field operation under a general failure model. The general failure model includes two types of failures. Type I (minor) failure is removed by a minimal repair, whereas type II failure (catastrophic failure) is removed only by a complete repair (replacement). We introduce the following cost structures: (i) the expenses incurred until the first unit surviving burn-in is obtained; (ii) the minimal repair costs incurred over the life of the unit during field use; and (iii) either the gain proportional to the mean life of the unit in field operation or the expenditure due to replacement at a catastrophic failure during field operation. We also assume that, before undergoing the burn-in procedure, the unit has a bathtub-shaped failure rate function with change points t/sub 1/ & t/sub 2/. The optimal burn-in time b/sup */ for minimizing the cost function is demonstrated to be always less than t/sub 1/. Furthermore, a large initial failure rate is shown to justify burn-in, i.e. b/sup */>0. A numerical example is presented.     

Benefits of Integrated-Circuit Burn-In to Obtain High Reliability Parts

The technique of integrated circuit (IC) burn-in is applied industry-wide with the assumption that burned-in ICs have a much lower failure rate during operating life than ICs which are not burned-in. Several years ago this approach was valid for all ICs, but today burn-in procedures for some ICs provide little, if any, benefit. However, some customers still request burned-in ICs, assuming that this will produce better reliability. This paper provides historical data for linear ICs and presents a procedure to help the user determine if burn-in is worthwhile. An example for linear ICs where minimum benefit produced from burn-in is provided. By repeating this exercise with any other parts, the user can decide whether burn-in will decrease the failure rate appreciably for his application. This article deals specifically with decreases in failure rates through burn-in. It is not within the scope of this paper to describe general factors that could decrease failure rates.     

Facing the headaches of early failures: A state-of-the-art review of burn-in decisions

System screening during electronic equipment manufacturing often cost-effective opportunities to remove and replace defective items. Burn-in is an important screening method used in predicting, achieving, and enhancing field reliability. Based on a simple calculation, we would expect the number of failures in the field to be a decreasing function of burn-in period. Especially, the expected number of failures drops significantly in the first part of the curve. Thus only a few hours of burn-in greatly reduces the failure rate, hence enhancing reliability. Qualitative studies on electronics burn-in have been done. It is well known that burn-in is costly. However, a comprehensive quantitative approach is lacking in the determination of optimal burn-in periods. This paper thoroughly reviews the studies of burn-in screenings applied to industrial products. Papers published in the past have been critically commented and systematically classified. This state-of-the-art review can serve as a guide in studying the burn-in problems.     

Economic cost modeling of environmental-stress-screening andburn-in

The electronics industry is highly competitive. The introduction of new advanced integrated circuits continues. The manufacturer must develop a product with adequate life cycle, high quality and low failure rate in the specified time period. Environmental stress screening (ESS) is widely used in the electronics industry to assist in eliminating early or patent failures. The bathtub curve is a common model for the failure rate of a population. The classic bathtub curve has three parts: infant mortality; useful life; and wearout. However, some electronic products have latent defects which are not detected by conventional inspection or functional testing, and occur during the product useful life. Most electronic systems have finite useful life. As a result, technology obsolescence is of concern and should be considered, This paper uses a new interpretation and development of the bathtub curve that integrates: (1) latent failures; and (2) the concept of obsolescence, by constructing an integrated cost model used to determine both optimal burn-in and ESS times in the same environment     

Analysis of burn-in time using the general law of reliability

Empirical lifetime distributions sometimes have a bathtub-shaped failure rate. This paper deals with some models having a bathtub-shaped failure rate. The root-mean-square criterion is proposed for selection of the best model. Besides two criteria of optimum burn-in time are proposed. The comparison of some models with the general law of reliability is given to determine a burn-in time in a number of examples.     

Cost Effective Burn-In and Replacement Times

Bum-in and replacement policies have been used to reduce the cost of maintaining a system function. Existing solutions to the burn-in and the combined burn-in, replacement problems are typically difficult to apply. A simpler solution to this problem is given. The only distributional property required is the reliability function. Thus either parametric or nonparametric estimates of reliability can be used in the solution. The nonparametric solution is appealing in the case of a combined burn-in and replacement policy because the U shaped failure rate makes parametric estimation of reliability difficult.     

一种星载电子产品老练试验加速因子估计方法

提出一种基于可靠性预计数据的星载电子产品老练试验加速因子的估计方法。在该方法中,温度对产品失效过程的影响通过器件失效率预计模型中的温度应力参数予以刻画。通过比较产品在工作环境温度与老练试验温度下的预计失效率数据来估计老练试验加速因子。该方法简单、易行,含义明确,有望增强可靠性评估结果与可靠性预计结果的可比性。     

Modeling and maximizing burn-in effectiveness

System burn-in can get rid of many residual defects left from component and subsystem burn-in since incompatibility exists not only among components but also among different subsystems and at the system level. Even if system, subsystem, and component burn-in are performed, the system reliability often does not achieve the requirement. In this case, redundancy is a good way to increase system reliability when improving component reliability is expensive. This paper proposes a nonlinear model to: estimate the optimal burn-in times for all levels, and determine the optimal amount of redundancy for each subsystem. For illustration, a bridge system configuration is considered; however, the model can be easily applied to other system configurations. Since there are few studies on system, subsystem, and component incompatibility, reasonable values are assigned for the compatibility factors at each level     

基于系统连续运行的功率管老炼筛选方法

提出了一种可以在试验台上进行无条件的筛选、或对已装机而又存在某种隐患的功率管进行老炼筛选的方法,并介绍了如何进行老炼筛选应力的确定和控制,以及试验的过程检测和故障处理。通过理论分析和试验证明,这种方法是切实可行的,能达到老炼筛选的预期目标。     

Une modelisation bayesienne du taux de defaillance en fiabilite

The classical approach in reliability in which no difference is made between the failure rates of various electronic components making up an assumed homogeneous batch, leads to some formal difficulties which will be demonstrated. A new approach is proposed in which each component in the batch is characterized by its own “stress resistance capability”. This approach leads us to postulate the existence of an individual “lambda” attached to each component and thus that of a statistical distribution of the “lambdas” at batch level. Taking this distribution as a distribution a priori, a bayesian treatment is then applied. The result is a formalisation of an unconditional failure rate reflecting the mean failure rate of the batch considered. Choosing a priori a gamma type distribution (justified by reasons of a practical and theoretical nature), it will be shown that the unconditional failure rate decreases hyperbolically with time. Consequently, a new “bath-curve” profile is obtained in which the horizontal line becomes slightly inclined. Lastly, the proposed model reveals a simple relationship between the burn-in time for a batch of components and the unconditional failure rate of the same batch after burn-in.     

A relation model of gate oxide yield and reliability

The relationship between yield and reliability is obviously important for predicting and improving reliability during the early production stage, especially for new technologies. Previous research developed models to relate yield and reliability when reliability is defined as the probability of a device having no reliability defects. This definition of reliability is not a function of mission time and thus is not consistent with reliability estimated from the time-to-first-failure data which is commonly used. In this paper, we present a simple model to tie oxide yield to time-dependent reliability by combining the oxide time to breakdown model with a defect size distribution. We show that existing models become special cases when a single mission time is considered. As the proposed reliability function has a decreasing failure rate, the result is useful for a manufacturer seeking to find an optimal burn-in policy for burn-in temperature, burn-in voltage, and burn-in time.     

Circuit reliability simulator for interconnect, via, and contactelectromigration

A model for predicting Al interconnect and intermetallic contact/via electromigration time-to-failure under arbitrary current waveform is incorporated in a circuit electromigration reliability simulator. The simulator can (1) generate layout advisory for width and length of each interconnect, and the number of contacts and vias at each node in a circuit, and (2) estimate the overall circuit electromigration failure rate and/or cumulative percent failure as functions of time, temperature, voltage, frequency, and previous stress (e.g., burn-in)     

Critical time of the lognormal distribution

The critical time is the time point as the failure rate starts to decrease and also as the mean residual lifetime starts to increase. The estimated critical time is useful for determining the duration of a burn-in process. The method for estimating the critical time of the failure rate for lognormal lifetime distribution is discussed. A single time censored data is used as a example for illustration.     

Reliability Enhancement Through Optimal Burn-In

Burn-in is an important screening method used in predicting, achieving, and enhancing field reliability. Although electronics burn-in has been studied qualitatively, no comprehensive quantitative approach exists for determining optimal burn-in periods. This paper presents a cost-optimization model from a system viewpoint, with burn-in periods for the components as the decision variables. This model is applied to an electronic product recently developed which uses many ICs. State-of-the-art ICs have high early-failure rates and long infant mortality periods. Proper use of burn-in reduces early failure rates and reduces system deployment costs. The total cost to be minimized is formulated as a function of the mean costs of the component, device burn-in, shop repair, and field repair, which in turn are functions of the mean number of failures during and after burn-in. Component and system reliability are constraints that have to be satisfied. The early device failures are assumed to have a Weibull distribution. The formulated problem, with failure rates and cost factors, is optimized. Some basic properties of reliability and cost functions are discussed.     

Graphical techniques for analyzing failure data with the percentileresidual-life function

Graphical data-analysis techniques for studying the empirical behavior of the hazard (failure) rate, based on a relationship between the maximum and minimum of the α-percentile residual life function to the minimum and maximum, respectively, of the hazard rate, are presented. Knowledge of these critical points is useful in controlling the system percentile life through burn-in. The graphical techniques are illustrated with a previously published data-set consisting of the empirical hazard rate of aircraft-engine components     

Burn-in optimization under reliability and capacity restrictions

Burn-in is a method to screen out early failures of electronic components. The burn-in problems that minimize the system life-cycle cost have been investigated reasonably well in many applications, but physical constraints during the decision process have not been considered. The authors search for optimal burn-in time and develop a cost-optimization model. Two types of constraint are to be satisfied during decision making: (1) the minimum system reliability requirement, and (2) the maximum capacity available for burn-in. Guidelines are suggested for making burn-in decisions. An example is given to illustrate a practical application. The model generalizes the burn-in problems that were oversimplified in a previous study