Autoclave Test

HAST highly accelerated stress test

Autoclave Test is a critical reliability testing method used in the semiconductor and electronics industry to evaluate the resistance of devices to moisture-induced failures. By combining high temperature, high humidity, and elevated pressure, HAST simulates the long-term environmental effects on electronic components in a significantly reduced time frame. This makes it an efficient and cost-effective approach for accelerated lifetime testing, failure analysis, and quality assurance.

Unlike traditional humidity testing, which may take hundreds or thousands of hours to produce results, highly accelerated stress test shortens the test duration by using unsaturated steam conditions at high pressure and temperature to promote rapid moisture penetration. It is commonly used during product qualification, process monitoring, and material evaluation.

Autoclave testing operates by placing test samples in a sealed chamber where the temperature is raised to between 100°C and 150°C, and the relative humidity (RH) approaches 85% to 100%. The internal pressure within the chamber can range from 2 to 4 atmospheres, depending on the test condition. These parameters accelerate moisture ingress and internal corrosion or degradation mechanisms, such as: