A typical Printed Board Assembly may contain up to a few thousand components and ten times as many interconnections. Therefore, assessing the reliability of a PBA is not straigthforward. The traditional approach suffers from a few fundamental flaws especially the assumption of a constant failure rate. Physics-of-Failure (PoF) analysis provides quantified models for failure modes such as solder joint fatigue and capacitor degradation. Unfortunately, analyzing even a simple PBA with PoF is a challenge. In this presentation, the basic steps of a comprehensive PoF analysis of a PBA are discussed as well as a pragmatic way of gradual implementation.
Geert Willems, imec