Failure Analysis, Prevention & Reliability

 Modeling for Submicron Electronics 

California State University, Northridge was the recipient of a NASA Institutional Research Award (IRA). This grant helped to initiate an interdisciplinary research program in materials science and engineering. CSUN formed an alliance with JPL (a NASA facility), HRL Laboratories (Hughes Research Lab) and Carnegie Mellon University to further the participation of underrepresented students in science and engineering fields. The proposed research will establish methodologies, guidelines, and models for reliability and failure analysis of materials and components used in lunar and planetary spacecraft. Specifically, we will study existing methodologies, models, and tools to find applications for deep submicron designs. Most of the tools available today are not well suited for the newer technologies. We will also focus on methods for failure prevention.
This program will greatly benefit from the radiation testing and failure analysis of the Electronic Parts Engineering group at JPL. Their direct involvement with space application of microelectronics will be instrumental to our learning process.
As a consequence, this project will build stronger bonds between NASA and the research community. The involved partners will gain access to well prepared engineers and scientists for future employment from these students who are trained during the course of this four year research program.

Failure Analysis of Microelectronics
 

· Electromigration 
· Extreme Temperature Effects
· MEMS
· Radiation Effects