10090 Understanding the Corrosion Mechanisms of Electronic Devices Subjected to Very Polluted Environments

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Product Number: 51300-10090-SG

ISBN: 10090 2010 CP

Author: Michael Reid and Luis Garfias-Mesias

Publication Date: 2010

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Environmental and Corrosion data as well as reported failures of electronic equipment in the field across different parts of the world suggests that current Accelerated Atmospheric Corrosion Tests (AACTs) do not mimic the environments typically found in developing countries. In those countries, harsher environmental conditions have shown high corrosion rates of metals leading to failure of devices and electronic equipment. A review of the current available literature and common practices among the industry suggests that the Mixed Flowing Gas (MFG) testing for both indoor and outdoor environments is the most common testing used to qualify materials and devices for their use in aggressive environments. Additionally, a separate ‘dusting’ followed by electrical testing at high relative humidity may also be used as a qualification method. A discussion on the relevance of these common practices is provided in this manuscript. It is suggested that in order to mimic the overall environment in more aggressive areas of the world (for example in developing countries or near industrial sites in developed countries), addition of higher levels of pollutants (including atmospheric particles and gases) should be implemented to qualify electronic materials and devices. At the same time, it is extremely important to try to reproduce (and induce) during testing the correct failures modes encountered in electronic devices. A quick comparison of available data from USA and developing countries, shows that different testing criteria should be developed (if feasible) during qualification testing for each particular environment. The ultimate goal is to try to develop meaningful AACTs that can mimic the real environment while trying to achieve the correct acceleration factors. In this case, the available data and field experience suggest that more aggressive testing may be desirable in some situations.