An Overview of Electronic Part Failure Analysis Experience

Failure analysis experience gained in support of several major spacecraft programs has shown the vast majority of electronic part failures encountered to be the result of relatively straightforward quality defects and misuse. Within the framework of this experience, it is estimated that the number of part failures resulting from these simple causes is at least 100 percent greater than that due to more subtle time/environment dependent failure mechanisms. Therefore, even first-order failure analysis without resort to sophisticated facilities and techniques can provide substantial information regarding the cause of equipment malfunction. It is the intent of this paper to briefly discuss the role of part failure analysis in support of system development, indicate the relative proportion of part failures due to various major causes, and present several examples of failure analysis results.