Consider five different failure mode types, each accelerated by a particular stress:

F(t) = failures accelerated by High Temperature Dwells (chemical type failures)

F(r) = Failures accelerated by rapid thermal change rates (some solder issues and mechanical issues)
F(d) = Failures accelerated by hot and cold dwells (particularly solder creep)
F(v) = Failures accelerated by vibration (solder joint issues, mechanical issues, many others)
F(c) = failures only accelerated by a combined thermal and vibration stress environment

All of these failure types contribute to the infant mortality failures in a product. An environmental screen that is just burn-
in only catches F(t). It also takes a relatively long time. Thermal ramps will catch F(r) and some F(d), depending on the
dwell times. Also, some F(t) will be found, simply due to the hot dwells between ramps. It is well known that F(t) type
failures do not represent a large percentage of the failure mode population. The failure rates in burn-in are often very low,
but the failure rates in the field stay high, clearly indicating that accelerating F(t) type failures is not achieving the goal of
reduced infant mortality. All of these failure modes are accelerated by the stresses from a ESPEC Qualmark system
(although true chemical type stuff not so much, but that percentage is so low anyway, it doesn’t matter.)

If you are doing an ESS that includes thermal ramps, the precipitation efficiency of that screen can be calculated with mil
std 344A. Then, a screen using the higher ramp rates that the ESPEC chamber is capable of can be calculated that meets
the same efficiency... we call this AccESS (Accelerated
ESS). Because the ramps are so much faster,
this screen will be much shorter, saving time and money!!
Because the new screen is shorter, you can afford to take the time to extend the hot and cold dwells. This will increase the
efficiency of the screen because of the detection of solder creep issues. These issues were not known or accounted for
when 344A was written, but they are a well documented source of infant mortality now.

If you have done a test on the product to determine the actual thermal limits of the product, and expanded those limits if
possible by eliminating design issues, then the ramps in the ESS can be extended beyond the product specification, based
on the results of the limit test. This increased range will increase the efficiency even further, reducing the test time even
more.

A wide range of latent failure modes can be effectively accelerated by vibration, some only by vibration. If a vibration
limit test is done on the product, so the vibration tolerance is known, and any exposed design issues are eliminated, then
the manufacturer can safely introduce vibration into the ESS for the product. This will greatly expand the overall
efficiency of the screen, because now many of the failure mode types will be accelerated, including those accelerated by a
combined environment (surface mount solder joints) and those that need vibration. The likelihood of capturing any latent
defect, regardless of the stress that accelerates it, is greatly increased. This achieves the goal of reduced infant mortality.

ESPEC offers high thermal ramp rate stresses that can significantly accelerate Reliability Demonstration Testing and ESS.
And ESPEC delivers a mutlitude of testing systems and Accelerated ESS to you!! Contact Us TODAY to get started!