In operation, mechatronics embedded systems are stressed by loads of different causes: climate (temperature, humidity), vibration, electrical and electromagnetic. These stresses in components induce failure mechanisms should be identified and modeled for better control. AUDACE is a collaborative project of the cluster Mov'eo that address issues specific to mechatronic reliability embedded systems. AUDACE means analyzing the causes of failure of components of mechatronic systems onboard. The goal of the project is to optimize the design of mechatronic devices by reliability.

The project brings together public sector laboratories that have expertise in analysis and modeling of failure, major groups of mechatronics (Valeo and Thales) in the automotive and aerospace and small and medium enterprises that have skills in characterization and validation tests.

This book will help you to:

• Find and develop ways to characterize and validate the design robustness and reliability of complex mechatronic devices
• Develop ways to characterize physical and chemical phenomena,
• Identify mechanisms of failure of components of these devices,
• Analyze the physical and / or chemical mechanisms of failure, in order of importance
• To model failure mechanisms and design optimization.

Pascal Dherbecourt; Olivier Latry; Karine Dehais-Mourgues; Jean-Baptiste Fonder; Cédric Duperrier; Farid Temcamani; Hichame Maanane; Jean-Pierre Sipma

This chapter describes how to perform power microwave transistors lifetime tests in operational conditions. The originality of this test bench is its ability to monitor automatically component performance during thousands of hours and to apply electrical and thermal stresses. This equipment is used to test high power transistors operating in pulsed mode and to record electrical parameter drifts using in-situ static and dynamic electrical characterization. The results of different aging processes of laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) high power transistors are presented

Keywords

Aging power transistors

Component under test (CUT)

Hot carrier injection (HCI)

In-situ principle

Laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS)

LDMOS 330 W transistor

This chapter describes how to perform power microwave transistors lifetime tests in operational conditions. The originality of this test bench is its ability to monitor automatically component performance during thousands of hours and to apply electrical and thermal stresses. This equipment is used to test high power transistors operating in pulsed mode and to record electrical parameter drifts using in-situ static and dynamic electrical characterization. The results of different aging processes of laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) high power transistors are presented

For radar system manufacturers equipment reliability is a major concern. Reliability is therefore taken into account in product design. Radar systems designers use electronic commercial components and must ensure good performance under specific operating conditions. During the product lifetime, power transistors will be required to function effectively in severe stress conditions (high or extremely low temperatures, very short pulse regime, high power, etc.). To ensure that the selected power components maintain a satisfactory level of performance throughout their life, aging tests are conducted respecting the operational conditions of the mission profile.

The test equipment presented in this chapter is used to study the reliability of microwave power transistors for the L frequency band for radar applications. This equipment is designed and built to provoke aging processes in power transistors due to operational pulsed mode use of radar systems [MAA 05]. It can apply stresses above the limits of the component specifications to accelerate the occurrence of failure. Failure mechanisms, however, must be identical to those caused by aging in real use conditions.

This chapter describes the design and the realization of the bench. The feasibility of in-situ characterization measurements of the component under test (CUT) is developed. Tests under operating radar conditions are conducted over 5,000 h. These tests confirm that the 300 W LDMOS power transistor meet the reliability requirements [LAT 10]. Test results in an overvoltage operation regime show that, after a relaxation period the CUT regains its original characteristics, demonstrating that the degradation phenomenon is not permanent [LAC 11]. Aging tests in a short pulse regime and in extreme cold conditions show that the electrical performance of the CUT is stable [DHE 14].

The aging behavior of the CUT depends on the operating conditions (voltage, current, power, etc.)

Chapter 10 Reliability Based Optimization of radar and automotive Mechatronic Systems Design
Chapter 11 Highly Accelerated Testing Combining Temperature, Vibrations and Humidity
Chapter 12 Experimental Characterization of the Robustness and of the Reliability Radio Frequency Components Ageing and Current versus Voltage Characterization
Chapter 13 Mechatronic Systems Physical Defects Analysis
Chapter 14 Defect Analysis of the Chemical Constituents of Electronic Components Moldings
Chapter 15 Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of Mechatronic Systems
Chapter 16 Development of Mechatronic Systems Metamodels
Chapter 17 Reliability Based Optimization of Embedded Mechatronic Systems
Chapter18 High Yield Architecture of a Mechatronic System