Testing activities
Space has been called “the final frontier” in both fiction and reality, and it does represent a challenging market for many companies which build EEE components for Space missions. Components built for use on board of satellites simply cannot fail during the intended lifetime of the satellite.
Along with high reliability, there is also the expectation that performance remains at the highest levels, with minimal degradation, for lifetime of mission. For this reason testing activity is an essential step in preparing EEE components for applications in Space.
Destructive physical analysis
DPA is a detailed examination of EEE components at various stages of physical disassembly. This test verifies that the component quality is in accordance with the detailed project requirements.
Failure analysys
FA is the process of analysing the component to find out the reason for degradation or failure of a EEE component, during component manufacturing and testing, during incoming inspection or after delivery to the client.
Construction analysis
CA test can give informations about the construction of the component, identifying potential fragility, anomalies or factors that should be improved.
Re-life test
Re-life test consists in the assessment of the EEE component reliability when stored for a long period. Thanks to Re-life test is possible to discover if components are degraded or not.
Up-screening
Up-screening is a very complete test on EEE components about some types of issues.
Humidity test
Humidity test has the purpose of evaluating the properties of materials used in components and the reliability of non-hermetic packaged devices in humid environments.
Burn In
Burn In is an electrical stress test that uses voltage and temperature to accelerate the appearance of latent reliability defects in a EEE component.
Thermal shock (air-air/liquid-liquid)
Thermal Shock testing is performed to find out the capability of EEE components to function properly in an environment with rapid extreme changes in temperature.
P.I.N.D. test
The aim of the P.I.N.D. (Particle Impact Noise Detection) test, is to detect free particles inside component cavities, that can affect the system.
Die Shear test
Die Shear test has the target to determine the integrity of materials and procedures used to attach semiconductor die or surface mounted passive elements to package headers or other substrates.
Bond pull test
The aim of this test is to measure bond strengths in discrete semiconductors and microcircuits wire bond.
Life test
Life test is an electrical test that uses voltage and temperature to increase the appearance of wear-out reliability failures in a EEE component.
High stabilization bake
The aim of this test is to find out the effect on microelectronic devices of storage at wide temperatures without electrical stress request.
Electrical test characterization of EEE parts
Analogue, Digital and radiofrequency electrical tests on EEE parts.
X-Rays
X-Rays tests can detect internal physical defects which are not visible in EEE components.
C-SAM (Sonoscan)
Thanks to this test is possible to have a quality control on EEE components.
Radiation test (TID – DD – SEE)
Radiations can reduce capability of equipments and systems operating in space.
Hermeticity test
The aim of hermeticity tests is to determine the efficacy of the sealing of components with internal cavities and to test their hermeticity.
Visual inspection tests
Several microscopes (optical, metallographic, SEM-Scanning Electronic Microscope) are available with possibility of magnification (from 10X to 10000X).
