Why worry about chip aging
Why Worry About Chip Aging – Ultrasononic Sprayer – Cheersonic
Aging shortens the lifespan of semiconductor chips below the demands of the intended application.
Aging is well-studied in the tech world, so what exactly are the physical mechanisms behind aging? Aging is essentially how fast we drive electrons through a transistor channel. There are only a few known effects that shorten the life of a chip, and many of them involve charges being trapped where they don’t belong. Some can be mitigated by technical improvements, while others require careful design and verification. Burn-in simulation has proven to be of great help to designers, but there is no quick and easy solution. Ultimately, on-chip monitoring helps keep a close eye on the system in the field as the system ages.
Circuit aging is always present. In the past, however, there was more leeway and fewer restrictions on what silicon and other materials could do. Aging effects and degradation mechanisms have always existed in theory. What we’re starting to see is their widespread performance in high-performance applications, such as data centers. Large hyperscalers are reporting computing glitches and random bugs they’re not used to seeing. This trend is expected to increase as designs shrink, technology nodes advance, and performance and reliability requirements proliferate.
In the past, device failures due to aging could occur long after a chip’s expected lifespan, if at all. However, as the nodes become more aggressive and the material pushes more and more, there is less and less room for error. Aging can happen faster, and if not handled properly, the life expectancy of a device is even shorter than the life of its intended system.
While semiconductor aging affects any application, one market pays more attention to it than any other. Automobiles are a major driver for considering device aging in the design.
This is due to two factors – a car has to last much longer than an average smartphone, and failures can have safety consequences. As a result, OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers have to take a closer look at aging effects and how to protect systems from aging.
But aside from cars, any chip that has to last a long time will be affected. While there are many sources of information on how to mitigate the effects of aging, very little has been dug into the root causes of aging. It is unclear in what way stable materials with electrons passing through them wear down. It turns out that the effects that cause aging are relatively rare, and most have to do with the energy that mobile electrons transfer when they encounter objects.
Source: Content compiled from semiengineering
Cheersonic is the leading developer and manufacturer of ultrasonic coating systems for applying precise, thin film coatings to protect, strengthen or smooth surfaces on parts and components for the microelectronics/electronics, alternative energy, medical and industrial markets, including specialized glass applications in construction and automotive.
