Towards the re-use of electronic products-quality assurance for the re-use of electronics

Work on reliability and life time estimation of new electronic components is an initial approach to find a solution for estimating the remaining life time of such components. A basis for this work is the soldered joint, because its fatigue is one of the main reasons for the failure of electronic circuits under normal operating conditions. In case of the remaining life time estimation, a statement for a single component has to be made which is submitted under unknown operating conditions during its life. In order to transfer the existing results of reliability and life time estimation of new electronic components, this problem has to be solved. The following issues are investigated: the state of the art in life cycle assessment research for electronic components with regard to an application in remaining life time assessment; the transferability of the results from above to the remaining life time assessment under the condition of a nondestructive measurement; and a low-cost method(s) for the nondestructive assessment of the remaining life time for printed circuit boards and components.