TABLE OF CONTENTS Various types of specifications and documents are used to assure the quality of the incoming material, high process yields, and reliability during the life expectancy of the product. Specifications also serve as documents and agreements binding the customer, the contractor, and the contractor's suppliers. Hence, well-written, clearly defined requirements that are approved by all parties at the start of a program will avoid product failures, retrofitting costs, and legal disputes. Among documents recommended for coating electronic parts are: a top-level performance/requirements specification, material procurement specifications, process specifications, work instructions, test methods documents, and a failure analysis and corrective action document.
The responsibility for the top-level requirements specification rests with the customer or contracting agency. Generally, this is the manufacturer of the electronic product or system or the final user. In the performance specification, the requirements that the electronics must meet are specified. These include electrical and physical performance over a defined period of time and under specified environmental conditions. The specification includes a variety of electrical, mechanical, and thermal tests that the product must meet. The contractor who builds the parts must select and demonstrate that components, materials, and processes will meet those specifications.
The final choice of a coating, primer, or process is best implemented by means of material specifications written by the user and coordinated with the supplier. The material specification is a document used both for initial qualification of a material to specific engineering requirements and for receiving...
