burn-in test

Burn-in implies burn-in. A burn-in test is a test for the continuous operation of parts, components, PCBs, modules and devices. The purpose of this test is to find components in advance that would fail in continuous operation.

In the burn-in test, the components to be tested are tested under high load over longer periods of time in order to identify any problems that may occur at an early stage. The aim is to identify the components that would fail first in regular use. Usually, the components are sufficiently stressed by the burn-in period, so that failure-prone components that did not stand out in the preceding functional tests and in the X-ray inspection fail. Since theoretically all susceptible components fail during the burn-in test, the subsequent replacement of the components in series production serves to prevent further failures. The purpose of this test is to uncover problems and defects in components which, if they fail, will cause the entire system to malfunction. For this reason, testing is carried out under extreme conditions. This means high operating temperatures and operating times.

Burn-in testing can be used to test the quality of individual components before they are incorporated into a finished device. Semiconductor components with latent defects are thus sorted out at an early stage. Devices that survive the burn-in test can be expected not to fail after a short period of operation. In addition, burn-in tests serve to pre-age components. For this reason, the equipment is exposed to strong temperature loads between -50 °C and +150 °C during these tests.

For individual components such as motherboards, there are special tools with which the performance of the components on the boards can be controlled and the effects directly monitored.

There are static and dynamic burn-in tests. In static burn-in testing of logic, all inputs are set high or low, while in dynamic testing the input signals are switched during the test.