J1879_200710 Handbook for Robustness Validation of Semiconductor Devices in Automotive Applications

Members of SAE International Automotive Electronic Systems Reliability Standards Committee, ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association), AEC (Automotive Electronics Council) and JSAE (Japanese Society of Automotive Engineers) formed a joint task force and met to update SAE Recommended Practice J1879-October-1988 (General Qualification and Production Acceptance Criteria for Integrated Circuits in Automotive Applications). This version did not describe methods to demonstrate that a device under test would meet the customer demand for failure levels in the single-digit parts per million (ppm) range. Additionally, with the old qualification “test-to-pass” approach, there is very little knowledge generated about the relevant component failure mechanisms that may occur at the boundaries of the specification limits. Extending the old approach to single-digit ppm levels is unfeasible with respect to both economics and time. A new knowledge-based approach to understanding and preventing the occurrence of the relevant component failure mechanisms was required.

The joint task force concluded that the J1879 Recommended Practice should be revised to encompass a Robustness Validation approach and that an Automotive Electronics Robustness Validation Handbook should be published. This handbook is based on information from a wide number of sources including international Automotive OEMs and their full supply chain, engineering societies, and other related organizations.