"AEC-Q"is a collective term for a series of reliability testing standards for automotive electronic components developed by the Component Technology Committee of the Automotive Electronics Association.
The AEC-Q series standards are divided according to component types, as shown in the following figure, mainly including:
AEC-Q100: A stress testing standard for integrated circuits (ICs), covering temperature cycling, humidity, electrostatic discharge, and other tests. The latest version is REV-J, released in 2023
AEC-Q101: Suitable for discrete devices such as diodes, transistors, etc., focusing on their reliability in automotive environments
AEC-Q102: Testing Requirements for Discrete Optoelectronic LEDs, Standardizing Optoelectronic Devices
AEC-Q103: Suitable for MEMS sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc
AEC-Q104: Evaluating the reliability of multi chip integrated modules (MCMs)
AEC-Q200: Suitable for passive components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc., it is a key certification standard for passive components entering the automotive market
AEC-Q100 is the first standard of AEC and has become the universal standard for automotive electronic systems; AEC-Q100 is also the most common stress test certification specification for automotive chips.
According to the different operating temperatures of the devices, AEC-Q100 divides integrated circuit products into four levels: Grade 3 (-40 ° C to 85 ° C), Grade 2 (-40 ° C to 105 ° C), Grade 1 (-40 ° C to 125 ° C), and Grade 0 (-40 ° C to 150 ° C). The manufacturing of products with different Grade levels depends on the technical capabilities of the semiconductor process platform, and a balance needs to be made between temperature levels and costs, such as the increase in wafer cost caused by the increase in chip area to improve operating temperature, or the cost increase caused by the use of copper based (non aluminum based) back-end processes.
The testing system of AEC-Q100 is essentially the engineering application of bathtub curves in the field of automotive electronics
Flatten the left peak of the bathtub curve through early screening tests (such as TC and HAST) to reduce early failure rates and ensure that obvious defects have been removed during component delivery;
Extending the random failure period through long-term reliability testing (such as HTOL, vibration): maintaining a low failure rate of the product throughout the automotive lifecycle;
Delay the onset of wear and tear failure period through accelerated aging testing (such as EM, PC) to ensure that the chip life matches the automotive design life.
This' failure mechanism based testing design 'has made AEC-Q100 the core standard for automotive electronic reliability, ensuring the long-term stable operation of onboard chips in complex environments both theoretically and practically.
The HAST high acceleration life test chamber produced by Chengdu intercooler meets the requirements of AEC-Q100 standard and is a key testing item used to evaluate the reliability of automotive electronic chips in high temperature and high humidity environments. The HAST high acceleration life test chamber is mainly used to evaluate the reliability of products or materials in humid environments. It is achieved by setting and creating various conditions of temperature, humidity, and pressure in a highly controlled pressure vessel. These conditions accelerate the penetration of moisture through the external protective plastic packaging and apply these stress conditions to the material body or product interior.
Specific requirements of AEC-Q100 for HAST:
Temperature and humidity: Usually 130 ℃/85% RH (unsaturated HAST) or 110 ℃/85% RH (adjusted according to the chip packaging type) are used, which is much higher than the conventional temperature and humidity testing conditions to accelerate failure.
Testing time: Depending on the chip level and customer requirements, it is commonly between 96 hours and 264 hours. For example, AEC-Q100 Grade 1 requires the chip to pass a 168 hour HAST test with a failure rate of ≤ 1%.
Bias conditions: Some tests require the application of electrical bias to simulate the electrical stress under actual working conditions.
The AEC-Q series standards are the "cornerstone of reliability" in the automotive electronics field, covering the entire process from chips to passive components, from design, manufacturing to testing. For manufacturers, obtaining AEC-Q certification is a "passport" to enter the automotive market, while for the industry, this standard system promotes the standardization and innovative development of automotive electronics technology.

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