An Accelerated Method for Effective Process Control of Plastic Encapsulated Nichrome PROMS

A Biased Pressure Temperature Humidity (BPTH) test has been developed as a process control for plastic encapsulated nichrome link PROMs and a control limit established assuring reliability better than 0.001%/1,000 hours. Correlation has been made between BPTH and 85°C/85% Relative Humidity Bias testing giving an acceleration factor of 20. Chemical vapor deposited phosphovapox and plasma deposited silicon nitride were evaluated as glassivation techniques. Silicon nitride has demonstrated improved life times greater than three times that of phosphovapox glassivation and five times that of non-glassivated devices.