Benchmark has experience to develop and support typical and specialized Environmental Stress Screens as a part of a manufacturing test strategy. Manufacturing stress profiles are derived from HALT activities and may be implemented by applying stress through a burn-in process or rapid rate thermal screen.

• HALT

Environmental Stress Screen (ESS) is not a test. It is a product screen process step in which products are subjected to one or more stresses with the intent of precipitating latent defects. The range of the stresses is typically induced to the maximum conditions recommended for the product. One would expect failures during this process if the screen is effective since fails occurring during the process would naturally have alternatively occurred in the field. ESS is used to accelerate the occurrence of early life failures to limit the exposure in the field of early component failure.

Benchmark Electronics regularly develops and utilizes ESS systems including the following implementations:

• Room temp burn-in
• Burn-in at elevated thermal levels
• Thermal cycling < 15°C/min
• Rapid rate thermal cycling > 15°C/min (typically >25°C/min)
• Thermal cycling and random multiple axis vibration
• Other stresses including voltage margining, frequency margining, and power cycling
• Product monitors are used to test the effectiveness of a screen