Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) undergo fatigue degradation under high thermal and electrical stresses. This process results in changes in their parasitic parameters, which can be detected using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR). Frequency domain impedance analysis is employed to characterize the various quality states of Si and SiC MOSFETs obtained from accelerated aging experiments. Results demonstrate a consistent increase in parasitic resistance as the devices degrade. By determining the drain-source parasitic resistance at the self-resonant frequency (f_ SRF) and the drain-source on-resistance for MOSFETs with varying degradation degrees, positive linear numerical fitting equations (14)-(15) are established to predict MOSFET degradation under zero DC bias voltage. In addition, FDR technology is used to identify the drain parasitic resistance at the f_ SRF of MOSFET samples with different sizes of defects in the sintered silver layer. These results reveal a positive correlation between the quality of the sintered silver layer and Rrm DSRF. The proposed approach is an effective quality screening technology for power semiconductor devices without requiring power-on treatment.

With the emerging wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor development, the increasing power density and efficiency of power electronic converters may cause more switching oscillation, electromagnetic interference noise, and additional power loss, further increasing the probability of device failure. Therefore, determining and quantifying the failure of a metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor (MOSFET), which assembled using WBG semiconductor in some applications, is crucial to improving the reliability of a power converter. This study proposes a novel failure quantitative assessment approach based on MOSFET parasitic parameters. According to the two-port network theory, MOSFET is equivalent to some second-order RLC circuits composed of independent inductances, capacitances, and resistances in series. Then, the frequency-domain impedance associated with the physical failure of MOSFET is identified through frequency domain reflectometry. Accelerated aging and bond wires cut-off experiments are employed to obtain various quality states of the MOSFET device. Result shows that the MOSFET quality level and its number of bond wire lift-offs can be quantified effectively. Drain-to-source on-resistance (R_DS(on)) that normally represents the MOSFET quality shows a positive linear function relationship on drain-to-source parasitic resistance (R_D + R_S) during the quality degradation proceeding. This finding matches with the correlation established between R_{DS (on)} and R_D + R_S in theory. Meanwhile, source parasitic inductance (L_S) increases with the severity of bond wires faults, and even the slight fault shows a high sensitivity. The proposed approach would be an effective quality screening technology for power semiconductor devices without power on treatment, which can effectively avoid the impact of junction temperature and test conditions (current and voltage) on test results, and does not need to design additional test circuits. The test frequency range we used in this approach was 10–300 MHz, which to some extent is suitable for providing an on-line quality monitoring technology for high-frequency WBG power devices manufacturing.

Based on molecular dynamics (MD), in this study, a model was established to simulate the initial coating morphology of silver paste by using a random algorithm, and the effects of different sizes of particles on sintering porosity were also analyzed. The MD result reveals that compared with the sintering process using large-scale silver particles, the sintering process using multi-scale silver particles would enhance the densification under the same sintering conditions, which authenticates the feasibility of adding small silver particles to large-scale silver particles in theory. In addition, to further verify the feasibility of the multi-scale sintering, a semi in-situ observation was prepared for a sintering experiment using micro-nano multi-scale silver paste. The feasibility of multi-scale silver sintering is proved by theoretical and experimental means, which can provide a meaningful reference for optimizing the sintering process and the preparation of silver paste for die-attach in powering electronics industry. In addition, it is hoped that better progress can be made on this basis in the future.

Bond wire damage is one of the most common failure modes of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) power devices in wire-welded packaging. This paper proposes a novel bond wire damage detection approach based on two-port network measurement by identifying the MOSFET source parasitic inductance (LS). Numerical calculation shows that the number of bond wire liftoffs will change the LS, which can be used as an effective bond wire damage precursor. Considering a power MOSFET as a two-port network, LS is accurately extracted from frequency domain impedance (Z−parameter) using a vector network analyzer under zero biasing conditions. Bond wire cutoff experiments are employed to validate the proposed approach for bond wire damage detection. The result shows that LS increases with the rising severity of bond wire faults, and even the slight fault shows a high sensitivity, which can be effectively used to quantify the number of bond wire liftoffs of discrete MOSFETs. Meanwhile, the source parasitic resistance (RS) extracted from the proposed two-port network measurement can be used for the bond wire damage detection of high switching frequency silicon carbide MOSFETs. This approach offers an effective quality screening technology for discrete MOSFETs without power on treatment.

Understanding the defect characterization of electronic and mechanical components is a crucial step in diagnosing component lifetime. Technologies for determining reliability, such as thermal modeling, cohesion modeling, statistical distribution, and entropy generation analysis, have been developed widely. Defect analysis based on the irreversibility entropy generation methodology is favorable for electronic and mechanical components because the second law of thermodynamics plays a unique role in the analysis of various damage assessment problems encountered in the engineering field. In recent years, numerical and theoretical studies involving entropy generation methodologies have been carried out to predict and diagnose the lifetime of electronic and mechanical components. This work aimed to review previous defect analysis studies that used entropy generation methodologies for electronic and mechanical components. The methodologies are classified into two categories, namely, damage analysis for electronic devices and defect diagnosis for mechanical components. Entropy generation formulations are also divided into two detailed derivations and are summarized and discussed by combining their applications. This work is expected to clarify the relationship among entropy generation methodologies, and benefit the research and development of reliable engineering components.

For the purpose of exploring the application of two-dimensional (2D) material in the field of gas sensors, the adsorption properties of gas molecules, CO, CO₂, CH₂O, O₂, NO₂, and SO2 on the surface of monolayered tin selenium in β phase (β-SnSe) has been researched by first principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT). The results indicate that β-SnSe sheet presents weak physisorption for CO and CO₂ molecules with small adsorption energy and charge transfers, which show that a β-SnSe sheet is not suitable for sensing CO and CO₂. The adsorption behavior of CH₂O molecules adsorbed on a β-SnSe monolayer is stronger than that of CO and CO₂, revealing that the β-SnSe layer can be applied to detect CH₂O as physical sensor. Additionally, O₂, NO₂, and SO₂ are chemically adsorbed on a β-SnSe monolayer with moderate adsorption energy and considerable charge transfers. All related calculations reveal that β-SnSe has a potential application in detecting and catalyzing O₂, NO₂, and SO₂ molecules.

Using first-principles calculation, we have studied the adsorption effect of small gas molecules (H₂O, CO₂, CH₄, SO₂, H₂S, and NH₃) on GeP₃ monolayer. To determine the most stable adsorption site, five adsorption sites (center, Ge, P, bridge GeP, and bridge PP) were considered in the paper. Through calculations of adsorption energy, adsorption distance, and charge transfer, we preliminarily determined that H₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ were physically adsorbed on GeP₃ via weak van der Waals force. However, SO₂, H₂S, and NH₃ were chemically adsorbed on GeP₃ with new covalent bonds formed, as concluded by calculations of electron localization function and charge density difference. Gas molecule adsorption can cause significant changes in the band gap of single-layer GeP₃, indicating that pristine GeP₃ monolayer is sensitive to these gases. In addition, the adsorption energy of the H₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ adsorbed on GeP₃ can be tuned effectively by employing an external electric field. Our theoretical studies reveal that GeP₃ monolayer is a promising gas-sensitive material used in nanometer devices.                                                                                                    

CH ₂ O is a common toxic gas molecule that can cause asthma and dermatitis in humans. In this study the adsorption behaviors of the CH ₂ O adsorbed on the boron nitride (BN), aluminum nitride (AlN), gallium nitride (GaN), indium nitride (InN), boron phosphide (BP), and phosphorus (P) monolayers were investigated using the first-principles method, and potential materials that could be used for detecting CH ₂ O were identified. The gas adsorption energies, charge transfers and electronic properties of the gas adsorption systems have been calculated to study the gas adsorption behaviors of CH ₂ O on these single-layer materials. The electronic characteristics of these materials, except for the BP monolayer, were observed to change after CH ₂ O adsorption. For CH ₂ O on the BN, GaN, BP, and P surfaces, the gas adsorption behaviors were considered to follow a physical trend, whereas CH ₂ O was chemically adsorbed on the AlN and InN monolayers. Given their large gas adsorption energies and high charge transfers, the AlN, GaN, and InN monolayers are potential materials for CH ₂ O detection using the charge transfer mechanism.

A novel silicone rubber elastic key (SREK) is proposed in this paper for surface mounting technology (SMT) applications. Effects of thermal reflowing stress on the mechanical properties of SMT-SREKs are investigated. The manufactured SMT-SREKs, which underwent various reflowing conditions in advance, are subjected to pressing force and fatigue pressing tests. Fatigue lifetime projection model and its predicted error are then assessed systematically. The thermal degradation of silicone rubber materials is illustrated through the dynamic mechanical analysis and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments. The mechanical finite element modeling is also conducted to simulate the pressing process. The results show that the pressing force and tactility of the SMT-SREKs are strongly affected by the reflowing condition, which contributes to the degradation of the silicone rubber materials. During the fatigue pressing test, the change rate of tactility increases with the reflowing peak temperature ( T-{p} ) and is accelerated by the repeated reflowing process. Moreover, a linear model can precisely project the tactility before the fatigue pressing number of 2.0E+6 times, and the impact rate of T-{p} on tactility with the increasing fatigue pressing number can be predicted effectively by using a logarithm model.

The effects of graphene stacking are investigated by comparing the results of methane adsorption energy, electronic performance, and the doping feasibility of five dopants (i.e., B, N, Al, Si, and P) via first-principles theory. Both zigzag and armchair graphenes are considered. It is found that the zigzag graphene with Bernal stacking has the largest adsorption energy on methane, while the armchair graphene with Order stacking is opposite. In addition, both the Order and Bernal stacked graphenes possess a positive linear relationship between adsorption energy and layer number. Furthermore, they always have larger adsorption energy in zigzag graphene. For electronic properties, the results show that the stacking effects on band gap are significant, but it does not cause big changes to band structure and density of states. In the comparison of distance, the average interlamellar spacing of the Order stacked graphene is the largest. Moreover, the adsorption effect is the result of the interactions between graphene and methane combined with the change of graphene’s structure. Lastly, the armchair graphene with Order stacking possesses the lowest formation energy in these five dopants. It could be the best choice for doping to improve the methane adsorption.

The mechanical and electronic properties of two GaN crystals, wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN, under various hydrostatic pressures were investigated using first principles calculations. The results show that the lattice constants of the two GaN crystals calculated in this study are close to previous experimental results, and the two GaN crystals are stable under hydrostatic pressures up to 40 GPa. The pressure presents extremely similar trend effect on the volumes of unit cells and average Ga-N bond lengths of the two GaN crystals. The bulk modulus increases while the shear modulus decreases with the increase in pressure, resulting in the significant increase of the ratios of bulk moduli to shear moduli for the two GaN polycrystals. Different with the monotonic changes of bulk and shear moduli, the elastic moduli of the two GaN polycrystals may increase at first and then decrease with increasing pressure. The two GaN crystals are brittle materials at zero pressure, while they may exhibit ductile behaviour under high pressures. Moreover, the increase in pressure raises the elastic anisotropy of GaN crystals, and the anisotropy factors of the two GaN single crystals are quite different. Different with the obvious directional dependences of elastic modulus, shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the two GaN single crystals, there is no anisotropy for bulk modulus, especially for that of zinc-blende GaN. Furthermore, the band gaps of GaN crystals increase with increasing pressure, and zinc-blende GaN has a larger pressure coefficient. To further understand the pressure effect on the band gap, the band structure and density of states (DOSs) of GaN crystals were also analysed in this study.

The color coordinate shift of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps is investigated by running three stress-loaded testing methods, namely step-up stress accelerated degradation testing, step-down stress accelerated degradation testing, and constant stress accelerated degradation testing. A power model is proposed as the statistical model of the color shift (CS) process of LED products. Consequently, a CS mechanism constant is obtained for detecting the consistency of CS mechanisms among various stress-loaded conditions. A statistical procedure with the proposed power model is then derived for the CS paths of LED lamps in step-loaded stress testing. Two types of commercial LED lamps with different capabilities of heat dissipation (CHDs) are investigated. Results show that the color coordinates of lamps are easily modified in various stress-loaded conditions, and different CHDs of lamps may play a crucial role in the various CS processes. Furthermore, the proposed statistic power model is adequate for the CS process of LED lamps. The consistency of CS mechanisms in step-loaded stress testing can also be detected effectively by applying the proposed statistic procedure with the power model. Moreover, the constant assumption in the model is useful for judging the consistency of CS mechanisms under various stress-loaded conditions.

For the limitation of experimental methods in crystal characterization, in this study, the mechanical, thermodynamic and electronic properties of wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN crystals were investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Firstly, bulk moduli, shear moduli, elastic moduli and Poisson's ratios of the two GaN polycrystals were calculated using Voigt and Hill approximations, and the results show wurtzite GaN has larger shear and elastic moduli and exhibits more obvious brittleness. Moreover, both wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN monocrystals present obvious mechanical anisotropic behavior. For wurtzite GaN monocrystal, the maximum and minimum elastic moduli are located at orientations [001] and < 111 >, respectively, while they are in the orientations < 111 > and < 100 > for zinc-blende GaN monocrystal, respectively. Compared to the elastic modulus, the shear moduli of the two GaN monocrystals have completely opposite direction dependences. However, different from elastic and shear moduli, the bulk moduli of the two monocrystals are nearly isotropic, especially for the zinc-blende GaN. Besides, in the wurtzite GaN, Poisson's ratios at the planes containing [001] axis are anisotropic, and the maximum value is 0.31 which is located at the directions vertical to [001] axis. For zinc-blende GaN, Poisson's ratios at planes (100) and (111) are isotropic, while the Poisson's ratio at plane (110) exhibits dramatically anisotropic phenomenon. Additionally, the calculated Debye temperatures of wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN are 641.8 and 620.2 K, respectively. At 300 K, the calculated heat capacities of wurtzite and zinc-blende are 33.6 and 33.5 J mol^-1 K^-1, respectively. Finally, the band gap is located at the G point for the two crystals, and the band gaps of wurtzite and zinc-blende GaN are 3.62 eV and 3.06 eV, respectively. At the G point, the lowest energy of conduction band in the wurtzite GaN is larger, resulting in a wider band gap. Densities of states in the orbital hybridization between Ga and N atoms of wurtzite GaN are much higher, indicating more electrons participate in forming Ga-N ionic bonds in the wurtzite GaN.