AEC-Q104-Chip Module — AEC-Q — Arnool Testing & Certification

Product Description: AEC-Q104 certification primarily focuses on reliability testing for automotive multi-chip modules (MCMs) and is one of the newer automotive electronics standards within the AEC-Q series. Under AEC-Q104, to account for the complex operating environments in which MCMs are actually used in vehicles, sequential tests have been added to verify

Product Introduction:

AEC-Q104 certification primarily addresses reliability testing for automotive multi-chip modules and is one of the newer automotive electronics standards within the AEC-Q family.

Under AEC-Q104, to reflect the actual operating environment of MCMs in automotive applications—which involves complex, combined conditions—sequential testing has been added, making it more challenging to pass the certification. For example, the High-Temperature Operating Life (HTOL) test must be completed before the Thermal Shock (TS) test can be performed; the reverse order is not permitted. AEC-Q104 introduces additional H-series test items for MCMs; furthermore, for component-level reliability testing, Thermal Shock (TS) and Visual Inspection for Ion Migration (VISM) have also been added.

The AEC-Q104 specification is divided into eight major series, labeled A through H. A key principle is that all components used in MCMs—including passive components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors; discrete components such as diodes; and the ICs themselves—must have passed AEC-Q100, AEC-Q101, or AEC-Q200 prior to assembly, the MCM product need only undergo the seven tests specified in AEC-Q104 Series H, including four reliability tests: TCT (Temperature Cycling), Drop, Low-Temperature Storage Life (LTSL), and Start-Up & Temperature Steps (STEP); as well as three failure-mode inspections: X-ray, Acoustic Microscopy (AM), and Destructive Physical Analysis (DPA). If the components on the MCM have not first passed AEC-Q100, AEC-Q101, and AEC-Q200, then the verification items must be selected from the 49 test items across the eight major categories (A–H) of AEC-Q104 based on the product’s application; as a result, the number of verification items will be relatively high.

Test Item Grouping:

Group A: Accelerated Environmental Stress Testing (6 items)

Group B: Accelerated Life Simulation Testing (3 items)

Group C: Package Assembly Integrity Testing (8 items)

Group D: Wafer Manufacturing Reliability Tests (5 items)

Group E: Electrical Characterization Tests (10 items)

Group F: Defect Screening and Monitoring Tests (2 items)

Group G: Empty Package Integrity Testing (8 items)

Group H: Module-Specific Testing (7 items)

MCM Certification Test Method Options

Test Items:

Group A: Accelerated Environmental Stress Testing
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
A1	Pre-treatment	PC
A2	Accelerated Stress Testing with Temperature or Humidity Deviations or Elevated Stress	THB HAST
A3	High-Pressure or Accelerated Stress Testing Without Elevated Stress or Temperature-Neutral Testing	AC UHST TH
A4	Temperature Cycling	TC
A5	Power-Load Temperature Cycling	PTC
A6	High-Temperature Storage Life Test	HTSL
Group B Accelerated Life Simulation Test
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
B1	High-Temperature Operating Life	HTOL
B2	Early Life Failure Rate	ELFR
B3	Non-Volatile Memory Endurance	EDR
Group C: Package Assembly Integrity Test
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
C1	Wire Bond Shear	WBS
C2	Bond Wire Tensile Strength	WBP
C3	Solderability	SD
C4	Physical Dimensions	PD
C5	Solder Ball Shear	SBS
C6	Lead Integrity	LI
C7	X-RAY	X-RAY
C8	Acoustic Microscopy	AM
Group D: Chip and Wafer Reliability Testing
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
D1	Electromigration	EM
D2	Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown	TDDB
D3	Hot Carrier Injection	HCI
D4	Negative Bias Temperature Instability	NBTI
D5	Stress Migration	SM
Group E: Electrical Characteristics Verification Tests
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
E1	Functional Parameter Testing Before and After Stress Testing	TEST
E2	Electrostatic Discharge (HBM)	HBM
E3	Electrostatic Discharge (CDM)	CDM
E4	Latch-up Effect	LU
E5	Electrical Distribution	ED
E6	Fault Level	FG
E7	Characteristic Description	CHAR
E8	Electromagnetic Compatibility	EMC
E9	Soft Error Rate	SER
E10	Lead-Free (Pb)	LF
Group F Defect Screening Test
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
F1	Process Average Test	PAT
F2	Statistical Yield Analysis	SAT
Group G: Colloidal Encapsulation Integrity Test
Serial No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
G1	Mechanical Shock	MS
G2	Variable-Frequency Vibration	VFV
G3	Constant Acceleration	CA
G4	Coarse and Fine Air Leak Test	GFL
G5	Packaged Drop Test	DROP
G6	Cover Torque Test	LT
G7	Chip Shear Test	DS
G8	Internal Moisture Content Test	IWV
Group H: Module-Specific Requirements
No.	Test Item	Abbreviation
H1	Board-Level Reliability	BLR
H2	Low-Temperature Storage Life Test	LTSL
H3	Start-up and Temperature Shock	STEP
H4	Drop	DROP
H5	Destructive Physical Analysis	DPA
H6	X-RAY	X-RAY
H7	Acoustic Microscopy	AM

Why Choose Arnool?

To date, Arnool has helped numerous internationally renowned companies obtain AECQ series certification.

Arnool has been recognized by multiple certification bodies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for its professional technical services.

Certification bodies such as Germany’s TUV Group provide end-to-end technical services to chip manufacturers, and their capabilities and data have been recognized by TUV Dekra and others.