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DfR Solutions Chosen to Develop Software Solution for Integrated Circuit Wearout

Posted on: Thursday, 16 April 2009, 08:00 CDT

Consequences of Moore's Law Creates Major Concerns for Government Agencies and Critical Need in the Electronics Industry

COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- DfR Solutions today announced that a cooperative of avionic companies and government agencies has asked DfR to develop a software tool for predicting integrated circuit (IC) reliability. The tool will incorporate work on semiconductor failure mechanisms done by noted industry expert Professor Joseph Bernstein of Bar Ilan University. As a leader in quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) research, DfR Solutions has extensive experience in failure mechanisms and predicting IC failures.

"Adherence to Moore's Law has led to unprecedented advances in semiconductor technology," said Dr. Craig Hillman, CEO and Managing Partner of DfR Solutions. "But while performance has increased exponentially, little light has been shed on the trade-off between performance and reliability."

Professor Bernstein has noted that future generations of microchips are not expected to last beyond five to seven years. "This seems to be the little secret that semiconductor manufacturers don't want to talk about, even though this will have enormous consequences on numerous industries that require high reliability," said Bernstein. "Concern about the impact of this change in the industry paradigm has reached the highest levels of the DoD and the FAA."

"This reliability issue is especially critical for manufacturers of implantable medical devices," added Hillman, "as the upcoming introduction of remote charging will push lifetimes far beyond current models. A heart patient will not want surgery every seven years, but how will the reliability of the chips that control the pacemakers and defibrillators be ensured? I see the tool we develop as being a 'must-have' for designers of future electronics systems for all aspects of the industry, and I am proud that DfR has been chosen to do this important work."

About DfR:

DfR Solutions has world-renowned expertise in applying the science of Reliability Physics to electrical and electronics technologies, and is a leading provider of quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) research and consulting for the electronics industry. The company's integrated use of Physics of Failure (PoF) and Best Practices provides crucial insights and solutions early in product design and development and throughout the product life cycle. DfR Solutions specializes in providing knowledge- and science-based solutions to maximize and accelerate the product integrity assurance activities of their clients in every marketplace for electronic technologies (consumer, industrial, automotive, medical, military, telecom, oil drilling, and throughout the electronic component and material supply chain). For more information visit www.dfrsolutions.com.

SOURCE DfR Solutions

Source: PR Newswire

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