VLSI Reliability in Europe

Abstract

A few points will be highlighted on the issue of VLSI reliability in Europe. First, there is a brief description of organizations involved in stimulating the activities on reliability by exchange of information (e.g., conferences) or setting up research programs (e. g . , the well-known ESPRIT program). Within ESPRIT, a technical interest group on IC reliability for formulating particular needs and necessary improvements in education and research was formed. The first outcome was an annual European conference on reliability, the ESREF, the first of which was held in Bari in 1990. In addition to ESPRIT research projects, there are special (smaller) projects on reliability subjects. Two examples will be given and treated in more detail, namely, those on plastic-encapsulation and electro-static discharge.Then some achievements in the area of firstly, oxide breakdown and secondly, plastic encapsulated IC's intemperature cycling are presented. Finally, a few opinions are given on new trends in reliability engineering, including reliability circuit simulation, if not already covered in the items mentioned above.