Reliability Operation Procedure

Reliability Operation Procedure Overview

• This procedure ensures product reliability compliance with quality standards.
• It applies to all reliability tests, monitors, qualifications, and evaluations.
• Reliability Engineering manages the reliability process according to this procedure.

References

• DOC-35300: Training Procedure
• DOC-50023: ESD Control Procedure
• DOC-35310: Control of Nonconforming Product Procedure
• DOC-00352: Quality Audit Procedure
• DOC-35298: Failure Analysis Procedure
• DOC-35034: pSemi Qualification Requirements
• DOC-01309: Process, Package, and Product Qualification Requirements
• DOC-01310: Reliability Monitor Instructions
• DOC-95164: Reliability Sample Preparation Procedure
• DOC-00383: Equipment Calibration Procedure

Safety Guidelines

• General safety must be adhered to when using high-temperature ovens and electrical equipment, including power supplies.

Key Definitions

• Rel Qual: Reliability Engineering activity to "qualify" a product, package, and process based on DOC-01309.
• Rel ORT: Reliability Engineering activity to periodically "monitor" reliability of a product, package, and process based on DOC-01310.
• Rel Eval: Reliability Engineering activity for an early reliability assessment, often requested by other Engineering departments.
• ESD: Electrostatic Discharge.
• Test House: Location where the test was performed.
• Assembly House assembled: Location where packaging and die mounting occur.
• ATE: Automatic Test Equipment.

Equipment and Materials

• pSemi Corporation uses supplier and internally owned environmental test equipment including Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and bench test equipment (refer to DOC-50655).

Preventive Maintenance

• Workstations, mats, floor tiles, and smocks require routine cleaning with static dissipative cleaner to maintain ESD protection.
• Standards-traceable test equipment calibrations are performed by outside contractors, in accordance with DOC-00383
• Equipment is maintained per OEM requirements.

Training Requirements

• All personnel performing or managing reliability testing must be trained per specification requirements, referencing DOC-35300 Training.

Procedure - General

• All Integrated Circuit devices are handled according to ESD Control Procedure (DOC-50023).

Rel Qual Planning

• Qualification of a product, package, or process includes sample size, stress condition, duration, and requirements as defined in DOC-01309.

Rel Ongoing Reliability Testing (ORT) Planning

• The Ongoing Reliability Test Procedure (DOC-01310) defines the reliability process for routine product monitoring to quality requirements.

Rel Eval Planning

• Evaluation plans reflect reliability requirements defined in DOC-01309
• Sample size, number of lots, conditions, and durations depend on sample availability and intended outcome and may not follow DOC-01309 exactly.

Hardware Preparation

• Depending on reliability test type, a socketed or soldered down solution is used for reliability stress testing
• A determination is made to use an existing Burn in Board (BiB) or design a new one.
• Interposer design must be initiated with selecting an assembly house with capability to fabricate the package in timely manner for dice requiring packaging.
• To perform electrical testing, a load board or Daughter Cards (Eks) are fabricated based on whether a socketed or soldered down solution has been used
• Preparation of passives, connectors, terminators, cables, etc. is required before reliability stress testing.

Test Program Readiness

• A repeatable, reproducible, stable qual test program will be created by the assigned test engineer.
• All qualification read points must be tested with the test program from DOC-01309.

Device ESD Handling

• Daughter cards, WLCSP, or any die/assembled devices must be shipped/handled with minimal ESD/mechanical damage.
• Refer to REL Sample Preparation Procedure DOC-95164 and Inspection Procedure DOC-92912.

Sample Preparation

• Preparation of reliability samples for qualifying/evaluating a product, package, or process is defined in REL Sample Preparation Procedure DOC-95164.

Reliability Stress Testing

• Environmental stress testing follows specifications in the Process, Package and Product Qualification Requirements (DOC-01309).

Electrical Testing and Data Analysis

• Parts must be screened and tested at each qualification read point using the same released qualification test program revision and tester
• Refer to DOC-01309.
• A thorough shift report analysis is generated which includes the Low and Upper Limits (LL & UL) pass/fail results including all shifts between readpoints for all the qual and control parts.
• Refer to Reliability Qualification Data Analysis Procedure DOC-02750 for guidance.

Failure Analysis

• For failures during qualification, steps, responsible parties, and gridlines are defined in DOC-01309.

Reliability/Evaluation Report

• A Rel Qual, Rel ORT, or Rel Eval plan must be completed/revised into a report that indicates attributes, specification, and reliability testing results.
• Rel Qual and Rel ORT reports must be summarized as "Customer Qualification Report", with reliability testing type, reference, conditions, duration, sample size and the results.
• Rel Eval customer qualification report isn't needed.
• ESD and/or Latch up (LU) characterization report from Characterization/Product Engineering must be embedded in the Reliability Customer Qualification Report.
• Refer to ESD Characterization Qualification Procedure DOC-00377 and Latch up Procedure DOC-93554.

OCAP

• If there is delay in the qualification/evaluation process, Rel Engineer recalculates the timeline and update the Cross Functional Team (CFT) or Program Manager (PM) of the changes.
• In case of any unplanned interruption for each reliability stress testing please refer to the corresponding test type internal procedure or JEDEC standards for further instruction such as the electrical test window and storage conditions.

Records

• Upon qualification/evaluation completion, the traveler is scanned and saved in the project folder on the department network.
• After each reliability testing, qualification samples are placed in archive boxes, stored, and retained in the designated location.
• Refer to Quality Records DOC-35296 for retention period.