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We identified diode corrosion on the wire bond pads which decreased the wave length intensity of the GaAs output.  The optical transistor working in conjunction with the diode acted intermittent.  The concentration of bromine was too high in the flux and migrated up the leads. This took about 3 months to occur in the field.  Instruments used for the analysis were SEM-EDS, XRD, TGA, radiography and special diode equipment.

We developed a technique for analyzing chloride underneath the solder mask of PWBs. This saved a million dollar litigation suit between two companies. This required the stripping of the solder mask without removing or interfering with the amount of chlorides found on the board, then analyzing and plotting the chloride distribution on the boards.

We saved one company a contract loss by identifying several problems on one particular IC that caused their product to fail in the field. The IC had a manufacturing defect that allowed read errors on the logic device. Instruments used for the analysis were SEM-EDS, probe station, high magnification cameras, and curve tracer.

We helped redesign a switch assembly (for cost reduction) by using different materials for a Class III environment. Instruments used for this analysis were thermal analysis, environmental testing, functional testing, FTIR, and GCMS.

We identified a chemical process problem where by an azeotrope used in the solvent cleaning gradually increased in explosive mixture inside electrolytic capacitors which caused fires on PCBs (DASD controllers). This problem kept the production line down for over two months. Instruments used for the analysis were FTIR, XRD, Ion Chromatograph, XRF, and extraction equipment.

We identified short duration electrical pulses that put Motorola transistors on the threshold of failure by fusing several clusters of cells in MOSFETs. Special equipment was used to determine dv/dt rates.

We identified package material concerns in 3rd rail electronics for the transit authority.  The potting material was stressing the plastic encapsulation on the component which caused the delamination of several components under 3rd rail conditions. Instruments used for the analysis were CSAM, probe station, SEM-EDS, thermal analysis and FTIR.

We identified a shortage of an amine inhibitor concentration used to minimize the migration and interaction of chlorine in electrolytic capacitors.  The vendor did not spike the batch process with enough amine and thus scintillation of the capacitors occurred.  This took about 2 years to manifest itself in the field. Instruments used IC, XRD, and FTIR. 

We identified a "corona" problem with 400V polyethylene film capacitors when the two contiguous plates were being polarized differently and causing the aluminum to migrate to the terminals.  Instruments used FTIR, GC, SEM-EDS, electronic measuring equipment and cameras.  Time to failure was 1.5 to 2.5 years in the field.

We have identified process problems with wrong materials, evaluated matrices of NO Clean fluxes using SIR testing, written process specifications, documented line audits in various processes lines, component manufacturing lines and analyzed hundreds of PWBs for corrosion, electromigration, contamination, and material compatibilities.

We have accessed different components for many companies. We offer confidential, independent, unbiased, analysis in identifying defects related to manufacturing, processing, design, chemical, and electrical over stress. We have worked with power supply companies, PWB companies, companies who need component analysis and redesign, and companies who need environmental testing.

All of our achievements are to our customers advantage. They get a better product, retain their reputation in the eyes of the customer for solving the problem, and you get a service when and if you need it.

Whether you are an established company with many products or a new company start up, technical leadership in developing the most advanced technologies is crucial to the success of your company. This requires analysis of present technologies, critical components, state of the art materials and development of new ones. 

Think about it ...................

As larger companies drive component manufacturers to supply the reliability data necessary to assess the component life and the manufacturers are encouraged to take responsibility for their process actions, the need for internal support goes down.

As redundancy, derating and lower power dominate the market, the need for absolute assurance and testing goes down.

As the product cycle time from design to production is decreased, testing is minimized.

As more companies sign up for standardized testing, the service and the product become commodities driving down the price.

As companies sign up for warrantees from their suppliers, the inherent risk goes down.

With all these factors driving the market place, it would seem hard to believe that companies have lost sales or lost millions of dollars because they did not plan for the unforeseeable: a failing component, a corroded power plane on a PWB, a mismatch of materials, a contaminated process, a design flaw, a passivation problem, mechanical stress on the silicon, low BV_DSS or excessive R_DSon, thermal impedance (RØ_JC) and so on, and so on.

These problems happen all the time. Failure analysis, components, PWBs, and process and line audits, and power supplies are the main course of our business. We believe we can help you out in such cases. We may even know what the problem is before hand because we work with several hundred suppliers and many many component manufacturers. We have solved problems where others could not.

       We are the " Problem Solvers of the Electronic Industry ".

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