Robust reliability design using environmental stress testing

Abstract

This paper presents a strategy for improving reliability by using a robust design method. In this approach, reliability is related to performance degradation and several reliability models are developed to address performance degradation. This robust design strategy integrates orthogonal array experiments with environmental stress testing. Its goal is to select optimal levels of design parameters such that the product performance will be less sensitive to environmental stresses and thus more reliable. This method is applied to the design of an IC wire-bonding process and a comparison shows that the products produced with optimum design parameters are more robust and reliable under environmental stresses. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.