Eliminating the Top Causes of Customer-Attributable Integrated Circuit Failures

The failure rates of electronic systems can be minimized if Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs), and Contract Manufacturers (CMs) follow specific guidelines for eliminating the most common causes of customer-attributable integrated circuit (IC) failures. Most importantly, OEMs/ODMs/CMs should always buy ICs directly from Original Component Manufacturers (OCMs) or their Authorized Distributors to ensure that ICs are authentic and have full factory warranties. Appropriate electrical overstress/electrostatic discharge (EOS/ESD) protection techniques should be used at the board-level and system-level. For particularly high-reliability applications, IC operating voltages and currents should be maintained well below IC Absolute Maximum Ratings. Since the failure rate for many IC failure mechanisms increases exponentially with increasing temperature, electronic systems should be designed to provide adequate cooling. Finally, OCMs’ instructions for proper storage, handling, and board mounting of ICs need to always be followed, with particular attention given to moisture-sensitive components.

Speaker: Andrew Olney, Director of North American Quality Operations, Analog Devices, Inc.

Andrew Olney is currently responsible for Quality Operations at Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), including quality systems compliance, audits, change management, issue resolution, prevention initiatives, and anti-counterfeiting programs. From 2006 until earlier this year, Andrew managed ADI’s Reliability, Product Analysis, Calibration, and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) departments. Andrew is based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, and has spent much of his career maximizing the quality, reliability, and robustness of ADI’s portfolio of products. Andrew has published numerous technical papers on integrated circuit reliability and ESD, and he holds several patents on ESD protection circuits. Since 2000, Andrew has led ADI’s anti-counterfeiting initiatives, and he has been a panelist in anti-counterfeiting webinars and has testified as an expert witness in the areas of semiconductor manufacturing, authentication analysis, and failure mechanisms. Since 2006, he has represented ADI on the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, and he chaired this task force from 2011 until 2013. Andrew received a BS degree from Lehigh University (1985) and an MS degree from Boston University (1990), both in Electrical Engineering.

Please note that this meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at Analog Devices in Woburn, MA. This will be a joint IEEE Reliability Society and IEEE Solid State Circuits Society meeting. It will begin with personal networking and pizza at 5:30 PM. The presentation will follow at 6:00 PM.

IEEE members and non-members are welcome. There is no charge for the dinner or presentation, but we request that you register to attend by Friday, October 3, so we can plan the refreshments. You can register online by visiting the Reliability Chapter’s website at http://www.ieee.org/bostonrel

Analog Devices’ Wilmington campus is located at: 804 Woburn Street
Wilmington, MA 01887-3494

Driving Directions from Rte. 93 North/South:

From the South: I-93 North to Exit 38/129. Take a right off the exit ramp onto 129 west.
From the North: I-93 South to Exit 38/129. Take a left off the exit ramp onto 129 west.

Go to 2nd Set of Traffic lights, take a LEFT onto Woburn Street.
Analog Devices is 1/4 Mile on your LEFT (east side of Woburn Street)
Stop at the Guard Station, provide your name, The Guard will direct you to Building 6 Visitor Parking lot.

The meeting will be held at Analog Devices’ Faneuil Hall conference room in the Building 6.