In this episode, Alex Lidow and Marti McCurdy discusses EPC’s test-to-failure method in improving gallium nitride (GaN) devices. According to Alex, testing to failure has allowed EPC to tease out the exact stressors that cause failure and improve EPC’s GaN devices 10-100 times the reliability of commercial devices, and even 100 times reliability in space applications.

Alex and Marti discuss:

(1:30) Why test to fail
(4:14) Learning from failure data and stressors
(11:38) Safe Operating Area
(14:30) Mechanical stressors
(17:45) EPC Space

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Standard qualification testing for semiconductors typically involves stressing devices at-or-near the limits specified in their data sheets for a prolonged period of time, or for a certain number of cycles, with the goal of demonstrating zero failures. By testing parts to the point of failure, an understanding of the amount of margin beyond the data sheet limits can be developed, but more importantly, an understanding of the intrinsic failure mechanisms of the semiconductor can be found.

Bodo’s Power Systems
September, 2020
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繼第一至第十階段可靠性測試報告後，EPC公司的第十一階段可靠性測試報告進一步豐富知識庫。此報告對受測元件進行超過1230億元件-小時應力測試，並且展示氮化鎵元件的穩定性是矽功率元件所不能實現的。

EPC公司發佈第十一階段可靠性測試報告，與工程師分享受測元件如何實現優越的現場可靠性的策略 - 在廣闊測試條件下，採用失效性測試元件（test-to-fail）的反覆測試方法，從而知道如何構建更穩固的產品以達到應用所需，例如面向全自動駕駛車輛的雷射雷達、LTE通信基站、汽車的車頭燈及衛星等應用。

從2010年3月起，氮化鎵（GaN）功率元件已經實現高可靠性並進行量產。本章詳細闡析如何測試出元件在何時開始失效，從而瞭解數據手冊給出的元件工作條件，距離其工作極限值還有多少餘量。而最重要的是，找出元件固有的失效機理，瞭解其失效的根本原因、恒常操作情況、溫度、電氣應力或機械應力等，從而知道產品在一般工作條件下，它的安全使用壽命。

Power Systems Design
2020年3月
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