Interconnect Stress Testing is an accelerated temperature cycling method to predict the reliability of both plated thru vias and internal board interconnects (posts). The technique uses both special electrical input/heating equipment and a standard board coupon containing holes and internal layer interconnects. The projection made is 1000 hour thermal cycling performance with data taken in a day or two over hundreds of fast cycles (before boards leave the fabrication shop). IST is one of the techniques Foster Gray's IPC Post Separation Task Group is evaluating as a test method. IST was also used as one technique in the recent evaluation of direct metallization technology presented at IPC Expo. For details, contact PWB Interconnect Solutions, Inc P.O. Box 23022 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 4E2 Phone/Fax 819-684-9849 We at MacDermid have participated with CircoCraft in the past in testing the technique by deliberately making boards with and without post separation. We regard passing IST testing as a criteria for any new electroless or direct metallization we develop. Denny Fritz MacDermid - Waterbury, Connecticut *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To unsubscribe from this list at any time, send a message to: * * [log in to unmask] with <subject: unsubscribe> and no text. * ***************************************************************************