Electrical and structural investigations in reliability characterisation of modern passives and passive integrated components

The aim of this paper is to present current situation in the area of discrete, integrated and integral passives. The concept of passive components is very simple and they are very inexpensive in mass production. But from materials science point of view some of them, especially thick-film ones are complicated, non-equilibrium systems with physical and electrical properties dependent on microstructure, which is determined in turn by proper arrangement of raw materials properties and conditions of fabrication process. Therefore some non-standard diagnostic methods, used for physicochemical and electrical investigations of raw materials, inks, films, components and circuits, are discussed. Moreover, the results obtained in particular methods and conclusions leaded to passives' fabrication improvement and to reliability increase are shown. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.