In Situ Monitoring of Electronic Materials Degradation

Discipline: MSE

Advisor: Kristopher Davis

The goal of this project is to develop a testing platform to monitor electrochemical degradation of interdigitated comb sensors (IDCs) through simultaneous optical and electrical measurements in situ. This fixture is designed to accommodate a range of board geometries. After assessing the state-of-the-art in IDC design and data collection, we determined that the best approach is to use an Ossila source meter together with an inductance-capacitance-resistance (LCR) meter to collect electrical data from four sensors simultaneously. All sensors are mounted on a single printed circuit board in a horizontal orientation. To promote electrochemical processes leading to device failure, the apparatus will operate inside an environmental chamber while sensors are immersed in a weak acid contained within 3D-printed reservoirs sealed with silicone elastomer selected for thermal stability and corrosion resistance. Each sensor is recorded optically by its own camera, while two Raspberry Pi computers relay images to a host computer storing electrical measurements. Custom CAD models define PCB supports built from 80-20 aluminum framing and ABS reservoirs manufactured by 3D printing. This modular design enables flexible sensor geometries and reliable synchronized optical and electrical degradation monitoring during controlled environmental exposure experiments and prototype validation studies for future reliability research and sensor development.

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