Electrochemical migration: Stages and prevention

Abstract

The modern trend of miniaturization of electronics has also affected the aviation industry. With each new generation of aviation electronics (avionics), the layout of electronic components becomes smaller and smaller. This led to a significant complication of all electronic components of avionics in general, as well as compaction topology of printed circuit board (PCB) used in avionics, in particular. Any complication of electronic equipment, and especially important facilities, leads to increased requirements for reliability. Given that the aircraft equipment is operated almost constantly in extreme conditions, even the slightest probability of failure is unacceptable. That is why the physical reliability of avionics is so important. One of the factors significantly reducing the physical reliability of aviation electronics is electrochemical migration.
Electrochemical migration can lead to failures in the operation of aviation electronics, to its complete failure, and even to a fire outbreak on the aircraft. Now the electrochemical migration is explored badly. Only the factors causing it and the consequences of electrochemical migration are determined, and the existing way of struggle it is either ineffective or significantly increase the weight and cost of aircraft equipment set, so that their use becomes impractical.
This article presents experimental studies of the kinematics of electrochemical migration, the consequences of its occurrence, as well as, the way of struggle of the occurrence of electrochemical migration with the analysis of experimental data.