Using commmercial, off-the-shelf parts (COTS) and products in military systems is commonplace. This article addresses the use of upscreening, a process for qualifying and screening commercial-grade microcircuits for temperature extremes common in DoD and aerospace systems. The article focuses on the three drawbacks of upscreening - the difficulty in quantifying reliablility, impact on warranties, and effect on supply support. To meet extreme military and aerospace temperature requirements, commercial parts are frequently 'upscreened'. Parts are tested, or more frequently retested, at temperatures beyond those recommended and guaranteed by the part manufacturer. The assumption is that if the parts perform satisfactorily during the extended temperature tests, they will be adequate for military applications. Upscreening is often done by the microcircuit manufacturers. Unfortunately, upscreening complicates reliability by confounding the definition of failure. In simplest terms, upscreening is a method for selecting a sample of parts that will work in an application. As such, upscreening is an expedient that works, but at a price. In the long term, the following improvements are needed: 1. better analytical and test methods , 2. better manufacturing controls, 3. better design for end products, 4. more accurate understanding of the operating conditions of products and parts.


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    Title :

    Upscreening of microcircuits for military applications


    Additional title:

    Upscreening von Mikroelektronik für militärische Anwendungen


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Logistics Spectrum ; 33 , 4 ; 24-26


    Publication date :

    1999


    Size :

    3 Seiten, 1 Bild, 4 Tabellen, 6 Quellen



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English