Even as chip reliability continues to increase, the industry is grappling with the negative impact of aging on reliability, making design and procurement of electronic components challenging.
Although foundries do their best to predict circuit aging with computer models, no model is perfect. Uneven circuit aging can cause components to fail unexpectedly—and in the rapidly developing electronics industry, the failed component may have already become obsolete. Users must source a replacement fast, or their production line will come to a halt. But finding electronic parts to replace obsolete ones can be a challenge.
Some components of a circuit may age faster—and thus fail sooner—than others, giving the circuit a shorter lifespan than expected. This uneven circuit aging can present challenges for planning, design, and procurement of electronic components. Here are some tips to help plan for and find replacement electronic parts when uneven aging strikes.
What is uneven circuit aging?
No electronic part can last forever. All parts age, and eventually will fail if used beyond their lifespan. The rate at which a part ages depends on many factors, including how often it’s used and the temperature and voltage it’s exposed to.
The tricky thing about electronic parts is that they may contain hundreds, thousands, or even millions of components working together. Some of these components are more durable than others. Some end up being used more often while the circuit is in operation, causing them to age faster. Some components see higher local temperatures than others due to joule heating.
As a result, it can be difficult to predict how long each component will last in use. If a single electronic component fails before the rest, the entire system can stop working—and you can be faced with the challenge of finding a replacement part. When a component or subcomponent fails due to uneven aging, it may already have become obsolete.
Designing with circuit aging in mind
There are two approaches to tackling component obsolescence: reactive and proactive.
The reactive approach consists of trying to find replacement electronic parts after obsolescence is announced, typically through an end-of-life or last-time-buy notice. These notices provide, at most, 180 days for users to determine their quantity needs and submit their last orders. With so little time to plan ahead, companies may waste valuable capital on stockpiling parts that may end up being unneeded or deteriorating in storage.
Proactive approaches to obsolescence management start from the beginning of a design. They typically involve:
- Calculating each part’s risk and potential impact of obsolescence.
- Forecasting parts’ supply and demand.
- Planning periodic design refreshes to keep up with the electronics industry’s rapid pace of development.
When planning a proactive obsolescence management strategy, it’s crucial to take uneven circuit aging into consideration. This means modeling parts to predict which components will fail first. Semiconductor foundries are required by AEC-Q100 to study how their parts respond to hot carrier injection, bias-temperature instability, and time-dependent dielectric breakdown—three key avenues of uneven circuit aging.
To avoid having to find electronic parts on short notice, it can also be helpful to design drop-in replacements for components with the highest obsolescence risk. These include active components like integrated circuits and transformers, which tend to be much more difficult and expensive to replace.
How to find electronic parts when circuits age
Although foundries continue to improve the accuracy of their models, no model is perfect. Uneven circuit aging can strike any design unexpectedly. If the component that fails has already become obsolete, users must source a replacement fast—or their production line will come grinding to a halt.
When this happens, independent distributors can be a valuable asset in finding obsolete electronic parts. Their benefits include:
- Unlike their franchised counterparts, they specialize in connecting users with end-of-life and hard-to-find parts from a variety of sources.
- They often have shorter lead times.
- They keep their finger on the pulse of obsolescence by monitoring EOL notices, mergers, and other supply chain disruptions.
- They can provide access to franchise manufacturers, who can help repair parts or redesign systems to avoid qualifying a new part.
No matter what obstacles arise when sourcing electronic parts, quality is always the top priority. Nonconforming and counterfeit parts are an increasing threat, especially when uneven circuit aging comes into play. Counterfeit parts may function properly straight from the factory, but they will undoubtedly age faster and fail sooner than the real thing. While uneven circuit aging is a growing concern, there are creative solutions—both proactive and reactive—to finding replacement electronic parts. The right electronics sourcing partner can help you maintain the highest quality standards and plan for the impacts of uneven circuit aging.
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