Defence

Defence electronics must remain dependable through storage, transport, deployment and extended service. Equipment may face temperature extremes, vibration, shock, moisture and electrical stress, while its components become obsolete long before the platform leaves service.

SPACEREL helps teams address the reliability and qualification questions that affect design choices, procurement, production readiness and continued operation.

Can a commercial component meet the application requirements?

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components can provide valuable functionality, but supplier specifications and commercial qualification data may not cover the intended environment, duty cycle or service life.

We assess the available evidence against the application, identify gaps and define the additional evaluation needed to support component selection and qualification decisions.

Will the hardware remain reliable through storage and deployment?

Passing a functional test does not establish long-term reliability. Semiconductor degradation, interconnect fatigue, corrosion and package deterioration can develop under repeated use or prolonged storage.

We assess relevant failure mechanisms against the expected stresses and operating profile, helping teams prioritise design improvements, operating margins and verification.

Can an obsolete component be replaced without introducing new risks?

A replacement with similar electrical specifications may differ in die design, packaging, materials or manufacturing process. These differences can affect reliability and the applicability of existing qualification evidence.

We support replacement-component assessment, technical equivalence reviews and proportionate requalification planning, helping teams manage change with a clear engineering basis.

Is the supplier and production evidence sufficient for acceptance?

Incomplete traceability, uncertain provenance and manufacturing changes can undermine confidence in supplied hardware. Qualification results are only useful when their relationship to the delivered configuration is understood.

We review supplier documentation, lot records and change evidence, identifying gaps that need to be resolved before procurement, release or customer acceptance.

A qualification programme needs to demonstrate that the selected hardware is suitable for its application and that the evidence represents the configuration being supplied. SPACEREL helps define the scope, acceptance criteria and verification needed to support that decision.

Component assessment and qualification

We review component specifications, supplier reliability data, construction information and application requirements. Support includes qualification-gap assessments, screening and qualification plans, test specifications, test coordination and results assessment.

Depending on the hardware and agreed scope, evaluation can include:

• Electrical characterisation and parameter stability.
• Operating-life testing, high-temperature storage and burn-in.
• Temperature cycling and thermal shock.
• Humidity exposure and moisture-related reliability.
• Mechanical shock, vibration and interconnect integrity.
• Bond strength, die-attach integrity and package hermeticity.

Tests are selected for the relevant failure mechanisms and requirements. Screening, qualification, lot acceptance and equipment verification each have a distinct purpose; one does not automatically replace another.

Supplier and manufacturing quality assurance

We support reviews of component provenance, lot traceability, supplier documentation, manufacturing controls and configuration changes. Where provenance or construction is uncertain, we help define the inspection and analysis needed to investigate the concern.

For microcircuit, hybrid and MCM manufacturers, this can include reviewing how material, process and construction evidence supports the proposed qualification scope.

We assess nonconformances and production changes for their effect on reliability and existing evidence, helping teams establish justified dispositions and further verification needs.

Standards appropriate to the hardware and programme

The applicable standards, revisions and acceptance requirements are established from the customer’s contract and technical specification. Relevant references can include:

• MIL-STD-883: test methods for microcircuits, including hybrid and multichip devices.
• MIL-PRF-38534: performance and verification requirements for hybrid microcircuits and MCMs.
• MIL-PRF-38535: manufacturing and quality assurance requirements for integrated microcircuits.
• MIL-PRF-19500 and MIL-STD-750: requirements and test methods for semiconductor devices.
• MIL-STD-810: environmental engineering and tailored equipment testing.
• Def Stan 00-040: reliability and maintainability programme requirements.

Commercial qualification evidence, including relevant JEDEC testing, can inform component assessment. Its suitability must be evaluated against the defence application. Component testing and equipment environmental testing provide different evidence, and completing selected tests does not by itself establish full specification compliance or manufacturer qualification.

Read more Component & System Qualification

A failure during qualification, production or service can leave teams facing urgent decisions about affected hardware. SPACEREL provides failure analysis and root cause investigation for semiconductor devices, microcircuits, hybrids, MCMs and electronic assemblies, helping customers understand the cause, assess the extent of the problem and determine the next engineering action.

We support customers with:

• Qualification failures: investigate failed samples, assess the test evidence and recommend corrective action and further verification.
• Production defects and supplier issues: examine suspected material, component or assembly defects and provide technical evidence for supplier discussions and nonconformance resolution.
• In-service failures: assess returned hardware alongside operating history to investigate degradation, intermittent faults and recurring failure patterns.
• Containment and hardware disposition: help assess whether findings may affect other units, lots or configurations and recommend additional inspection or testing.
• Corrective-action verification: define the evidence needed to evaluate design, material or process changes and assess whether they address the identified failure mechanism.

Investigations combine electrical evidence with appropriate physical and materials analysis. Techniques can include but not limited to C-SAM, X-ray, SEM/EDS, FIB and cross-sectioning, selected to investigate issues such as bond lift, die-attach degradation, solder fatigue, delamination, contamination and corrosion.

SPACEREL defines the investigation scope, coordinates specialist laboratory work where required, and interprets the findings.

Our reports explain the findings, the evidence supporting the root cause and any remaining uncertainties. Clear recommendations help engineering and quality teams make informed decisions about containment, supplier corrective action, requalification and return to service.

Read more Failure Analysis

New devices, materials and packaging approaches can offer performance advantages while introducing reliability questions that existing data cannot answer.

SPACEREL supports R&D through feasibility assessment, experimental characterisation and investigation of reliability-critical behaviour.

For hardware developers, this can include evaluating candidate components, comparing design options and investigating operation under demanding thermal or electrical conditions. For microcircuit, hybrid and MCM manufacturers, support can include material and process evaluation, construction-related investigations and assessment of proposed improvements.

The work provides evidence to guide development decisions and preparation for qualification. Project-specific methods and findings are managed confidentially.

Read more Research & Development

Clear deliverables for your defence programme

Depending on the project scope, SPACEREL can provide:

• Component suitability, reliability-risk and qualification-gap assessments.
• Reliability plans, analyses and design-review evidence.
• Screening and qualification specifications with acceptance criteria.
• Supplier-documentation, traceability and manufacturing-control reviews.
• Replacement-component assessments and requalification recommendations.
• Test assessments, failure-analysis reports and corrective-action recommendations.
• R&D findings to support development and customer review.

Each deliverable explains what has been assessed, what the evidence supports and which actions remain open, helping engineering and quality teams make informed decisions.