New SEM Lab book
Failure Analysis of Electronic Components & Assemblies
Ed Hare, Ph.D. · SEM Lab, Inc.
Follow SEM Lab investigations from a reported symptom through electrical testing, microscopy, and specimen preparation. The cases show how measurements and physical evidence locate a failure, distinguish possible mechanisms, and establish what can be reported with confidence.
144 pages
22 chapters
PDF download
Inside the book
From investigation planning to reporting
- Foundations Plan the investigation and distinguish failure modes, mechanisms, and causes.
- Analytical methods Optical inspection, scanning electron microscopy, EDS, and specimen preparation.
- Materials and metallurgy Solder joints, surface finishes, reaction interfaces, and assembly damage.
- Component-level failures Packages, board and substrate interconnections, leakage, and LED failures.
- Assembly-level failures Solder-joint fracture, printed wiring board construction, and mechanical loading.
- Electrical and environmental failures Electrical overstress, ESD, corrosion, and conductive growth.
- Worked case studies Investigation sequences, interconnection damage, and fretting at an internal camera connector.
- Interpretation and reporting Set the limits of a finding and connect it to a corrective action or further measurement.
Chapter references identify the original SEM Lab case numbers. The bibliography shows where each report is cited.