Reliability physics in electronics: a historical view

This paper traces the development of the reliability approach for microelectronic devices. It discusses the pressures on the early military microelectronics industry to improve the reliability of individual parts making up the complex equipment. This pressure led to the need for a new approach to designing and evaluating these parts. The resulting birth of reliability physics is covered in detail, followed by the subsequent growth and eventually the creation of many specialty areas within reliability physics.

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