STS places a lot of emphasis on “early or infant mortality” as it is our belief that early performance is a very good indicator of long term reliability life cycles. We have the ability to start early stress tests on the first silicon so all reliability and performance improvements are integrated and incorporated at the initial revisions of the product. Matured processes will yield superior quality, and good device performance within the first hours, increasing the probability of continued long-term reliability.

Designed to simulate worst case conditions, we conduct tests that take the devices very close to their maximum ratings. This is done for faster acceleration to establish a breakdown threshold. Electrical testing is focused on degradation and fatigue detections along with functional failures. These changes, when analyzed, define how the device behaves when run at nominal conditions over an extended duration.

ESD (CDM, HBM, MM and Air Discharge), and Latch-up testing at worst case temperatures, accelerated Moisture sensitivity tests, and Accelerated thermal cycling tests are performed on a few samples to shake off any inherent issues that may affect future manufacturability and long term reliability.

Electronics manufacturers are transitioning to Pb-free solders and fine-pitched surface-mount packages, but are concerned with the reliability implications. STS facilitates this transition with all the necessary reliability tests, electrical tests and mechanical loading tests that ensure that the new lead-free IC meets the industry standards.

Board-level reliability testing is complex, however, STS takes all the necessary considerations to test for tensile ruptures, creep failures and fatigue to determine the confidence level that a solder joint will conform to its visual/mechanical and electrical specifications.
The most common tests that STS engages in are:

• Board-level Temperature Cycling
• Board-level High-temperature Operating Life Testing
• HAST
• Temperature Humidity Bias Testing
• Process Resistance Studies/ Simulations
• Assembly Profile Simulations & Preconditioning
• IPC Surface Resistance Insulation Testing
• ESD & Latch-up Testing

• Board Drop Test
• Board Bend Test
• Shock, Vibration, Centrifuge
• Bond/ Die/ Lead Stress Analysis
• Group D, Level B & S

Engineering Characterization. Life Testing. Production Screening. All it takes is a systematic approach that STS has mastered over the years. The STS methodology necessitates understanding of the high-power device design, device application and field use; hardware design and manufacturing with absolute precision and customized circuitry; using a burn-in system that has zero tolerance for inaccuracies and variations and performs real-time functional validation; and establishing a qualification regime that simulates worst case conditions to detect any latent defects and failures. The high-power burn-in system, the HPB-5B from Micro Control Company (MCC) at STS is a sophisticated tool that performs burn-in-with-test up to 150 watts on high-powered VLSI, microprocessors, logic and memory devices.

Enhanced products for the Aerospace, Military, Heavy Industrial and Medical applications are operated at extended temperatures from -550C to 220C. STS’ unique thermal characterization plan with high temperature life-time testing, for these products, focuses in detecting failures at interim levels to provide assurance to manufacturers that their products perform seamlessly under unusually demanding conditions. STS tests simulate the harshest operating conditions with real-time monitoring and data acquisition. STS also builds its own hardware that is customized with high temperature materials to withstand temperatures above 2500C for 1,000 hours.

STS follows an extensive qualification regime for Hi-reliability products that allows for upfront evaluation and Endurance Testing. Reliability is performed at maximum recommended operating conditions to evaluate silicon reliability and package reliability. STS has the capability in-house to qualify the most complex packages and devices and offer custom solutions to its reliability customers.

• Ceramic
• Die
• Plastic
• Pb
• DSP
• Power Management
• Amplifiers
• Data Converters
• Logic
• Interface
• Communications

STS has invented the Innovative Thermal Controller 360 (ITC360™), a unique product designed to overcome the temperature regulation barriers of high power dissipative devices. ITC360™ is deployed for reliability testing, which includes burn-in of processors, LM80 test for LED lighting, SIPs and SOCs. It is an alternative to the conventional burn-in test and unifies temperature gradients of specification temperature, actual operating temperature, ambient temperature and surrounding temperature.

Our unique solution breaks the boundaries of technology, performs Level II burn-in and tests high power dissipative devices enabling thermal regulation. ITC360™ can be conducted directly on the bench without the use of interconnect devices. Real-time monitoring allows the user to predict early detection of overheating to avoid deterioration and defective components, modules or systems.

This product thermally manages a high power dissipation of 150W and 250W. ITC360™ controls individual temperature of the DUT (deviceunder- temperature) and temperature of the immediate surroundings to prevent the devices from overheating or under heating. Please email sales@sts-usa.com for more information on this breakthrough product.

STS employs intelligent Burn-in in a liquid environment – the Thermal Electric Cooling - which is a critical undertaking that requires accurate understanding of the process, the Device under Test (DUT) and the actual application/use of the device. Our engineers do due-diligence with hardware and manufacturability design to make it a viable and reduced cost-of-test option for you. Please email sales@sts-usa.com for more information on this breakthrough product.

As Life Test costs rapidly increase due to growing requirements of high power dissipation of RF devices, STS performs the Advanced Chamberless Burn-in, ACBITM that allows operating HTOL of RF devices in a Bench-top environment to offer greater efficiency at lower costs. This state-of-the-art proprietary tool allows for temperature regulation of individual devices. It is implemented directly in open air environment. Please email sales@sts-usa.com for more information on this breakthrough product