PEM Qualification and Screening for
High-Reliability Electronics

Bridging the Gap Between COTS Performance and High-Reliability

Commercial plastic-encapsulated devices are not automatically suitable for a high-reliability mission.

Plastic-encapsulated microcircuits and discrete semiconductors can provide performance, availability, package, and technology options that are not available in traditional hermetic product families. They can also introduce uncertainty in materials, moisture response, process history, lot traceability, construction consistency, radiation behavior, and long-term reliability.

PEM qualification and screening reduce that uncertainty by building mission-specific evidence around the device family, the submitted lot, the package construction, the expected environment, and the program’s accepted risk posture. Qualification and screening are complementary, but they do not answer the same question.

AAA Engineering & Test Lab supports customer-defined PEM and PEDS programs using frameworks such as NASA PEM-INST-001, SAE AS6294/1 through AS6294/4, applicable JEDEC and J-STD methods, MIL-STD-883, MIL-STD-750, MIL-STD-1580, and program-specific requirements.

Discuss a PEM Qualification or Screening Program

PEM Qualification and Screening Services Available from AAA

AAA Engineering & Test Lab supports customer-defined PEM and PEDS qualification, screening, construction analysis, and lot-evaluation programs using NASA, SAE, JEDEC, J-STD, MIL-STD, and program-specific requirements. AAA can coordinate the electrical, environmental, physical-analysis, moisture, assembly, radiation, and reporting evidence required by an approved mission-specific assurance plan.

Qualification-plan, requirement, manufacturer-data, and lot-data review
Device categorization, risk review, and sample-allocation planning
Baseline, interim, and post-stress electrical characterization
Room, hot, and cold electrical testing
Moisture classification, dry-pack controls, floor-life tracking, bake, and preconditioning
Temperature cycling, humidity, environmental stress, burn-in, and steady-state life
Radiographic inspection, acoustic microscopy, DPA, and construction analysis
Internal visual, bond-strength, bond-pull, die-shear, SEM/EDS, XRF, and cross-section analysis
Radiation-effects testing or coordination for TID, SEE, and displacement-damage requirements
Failure analysis of qualification, screening, radiation, and construction anomalies
Integrated engineering data, deviation records, and qualification or lot-evaluation reporting

What PEM Qualification and Screening Determine

Qualification: Builds evidence about the suitability of a device design, technology, construction, or family for the intended application and mission profile.
Screening: Applies defined stresses and electrical tests to identify and remove defective units and reduce early-life failures within a submitted lot.
Lot evaluation. Assesses whether the specific manufacturing lot shows acceptable electrical, construction, material, and process evidence.
Construction integrity. Uses DPA, radiography, acoustic microscopy, cross-sectioning, bond evaluation, die shear, and internal inspection where required.
Moisture and assembly risk. Evaluates how a nonhermetic package responds to moisture absorption, storage, handling, preconditioning, and solder-reflow exposure.
Radiation evidence. Addresses total ionizing dose, single-event effects, displacement damage, or other applicable threats through program-specific analysis and testing.
Mission suitability. Combines device, lot, construction, environmental, electrical, radiation, and application evidence for the responsible program authority’s decision.

Qualification and Screening Answer Different Risk Questions

PEM Qualification

Qualification asks whether the design, technology, construction, and available evidence support use in the defined mission. It may use manufacturer information, historical data, similarity analysis, construction analysis, accelerated stresses, electrical testing, radiation evidence, and application-specific evaluation.

PEM Screening

Screening asks whether the submitted lot contains defective or early-failing units that should be removed before integration. The screening flow may include baseline electrical testing, temperature exposure, temperature cycling, burn-in, post-stress electrical testing, visual inspection, and other program-defined steps.

DPA and Lot Acceptance

DPA examines representative samples to evaluate internal construction and workmanship. Lot acceptance uses the defined sampling, test, and acceptance structure to determine whether the submitted lot provides acceptable evidence for the program.

Radiation Hardness Assurance

Radiation assurance is a separate evidence stream. Environmental and electrical qualification does not establish response to the mission radiation environment.

How PEM Assurance Applies Across the Program Lifecycle

Part Selection

Evaluate whether the device provides a necessary functional or availability advantage and whether a more established high-reliability alternative exists.

Supplier and Traceability Review

Assess manufacturer, authorized-source status, lot and date-code information, handling history, process-change information, and available construction or qualification data.

Family or Technology Qualification

Build evidence around design and technology suitability using available data, similarity, construction analysis, accelerated stress, electrical performance, and application requirements.

Lot Screening and Acceptance

Apply the defined screening and destructive subgroup plan to the actual production lot intended for use.

Assembly and Integration Control

Use moisture classification, dry-pack controls, floor-life tracking, bake, preconditioning, reflow limits, and ESD controls to protect the qualified evidence.

Production and Change Monitoring

Reevaluate when wafer fabrication, assembly site, mold compound, die revision, package, lead finish, process, or supplier changes materially affect the qualified baseline.

Anomaly Investigation

Use failure analysis and additional physical or electrical testing when qualification or screening produces unexpected results.

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When Programs Use PEM Qualification and Screening

A required function, package, performance level, or technology is unavailable in a traditional hermetic product family.
A commercial device is being considered for space, defense, avionics, or another high-reliability application.
A new device family, manufacturer, assembly site, lot, date code, package, or process change requires evidence.
A program needs a qualified alternate source or an obsolescence replacement.
The device is nonhermetic and moisture, reflow, delamination, corrosion, or package-integrity risk must be addressed.
The submitted lot requires screening before integration.
Radiation data are missing, not lot-representative, or not directly applicable to the mission environment.
Construction analysis is needed to assess die, bond, package, material, or process consistency.
The program must document an accepted risk posture rather than rely on commercial qualification data alone.

How Mission Risk Drives the PEM Plan

There is no universal PEM qualification or screening package. The plan must be tailored to the device family, package construction, mission duration, operating environment, radiation environment, repairability, consequence of failure, available manufacturer evidence, traceability, lot size, and program risk classification.

Device family. Plastic-encapsulated microcircuits and plastic-encapsulated discrete semiconductors require different test methods and failure-mechanism considerations.
Space, military, avionics, and other high-reliability applications do not impose identical mission, access, environment, or assurance requirements.
Qualification evidence. Commercial qualification, automotive qualification, historical data, similarity, and manufacturer data can inform the plan but may not cover the intended application.
Lot specificity. Commercial process changes, multiple assembly sites, limited wafer traceability, and material changes may make lot-specific evidence necessary.
Package sensitivity. Moisture absorption, reflow profile, mold compound, die size, lead frame, laminate, bond system, and package geometry influence the stress plan.
TID, SEE, displacement damage, technology, bias, dose rate, and mission environment require separate technical treatment.
Sample allocation. The plan must reserve sufficient samples for screening, qualification, DPA, radiation, control groups, resampling, and failure analysis.

Governing Standards and Technical Frameworks

NASA PEM-INST-001. Defines a GSFC product-assurance system that separates screening, qualification, DPA, radiation assessment, derating, handling, storage, source control, and lot-specific mission evidence.
AS6294/1. Addresses plastic-encapsulated microcircuits in space applications.
AS6294/2. Addresses plastic-encapsulated microcircuits in military and avionics applications.
AS6294/3. Addresses plastic-encapsulated discrete semiconductors in space applications.
AS6294/4. Addresses plastic-encapsulated discrete semiconductors in military and avionics applications.
J-STD-020. Classifies moisture and reflow sensitivity for nonhermetic surface-mount devices.
J-STD-033. Controls handling, packing, shipping, exposure tracking, floor life, shelf life, drying, and use of moisture- and process-sensitive devices.
JESD22-A113. Simulates assembly moisture and multiple-reflow exposure before subsequent reliability testing.
JESD22-A101. Defines steady-state temperature-humidity bias life testing for moisture-related reliability mechanisms.
JESD22-A110. Defines highly accelerated temperature and humidity stress testing (HAST).
JESD22-A118. Defines accelerated moisture resistance using unbiased HAST.
JESD22-B116. Defines the wire bond shear test method.
MIL-STD-883 and MIL-STD-750. Provide environmental, mechanical, electrical, screening, and physical-analysis methods for microcircuits and discrete semiconductor devices.
MIL-STD-1580. Provides the DPA framework used to evaluate internal construction and workmanship where invoked.

Key PEM Qualification and Screening Methods

AAA Engineering & Test Lab performs or supports customer-defined testing to the applicable MIL-STD-883, J-STD, and JESD methods used within PEM programs, including TM 1005, 1010, 1015, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2021, plus J-STD-020, J-STD-033, JESD22-A101, A110, A113, A118, and B116 where invoked by the approved qualification or screening plan.

Moisture Classification and Assembly Preconditioning

J-STD-020. Determines the moisture and reflow sensitivity level of the package.
J-STD-033. Controls the handling and exposure conditions needed to preserve the classified device.
JESD22-A113. Preconditions nonhermetic surface-mount devices before reliability testing using moisture and reflow simulation.

Environmental and Reliability Stress

JESD22-A101. Applies temperature, humidity, and electrical bias to evaluate moisture-assisted reliability mechanisms in nonhermetic integrated circuits.
JESD22-A110. Applies highly accelerated temperature and humidity stress with bias to evaluate moisture-related reliability mechanisms.
JESD22-A118. Applies unbiased HAST to evaluate accelerated moisture resistance without electrical bias.
MIL-STD-883 TM 1010. Provides microcircuit temperature-cycling requirements where invoked.
MIL-STD-883 TM 1005. Provides steady-state life testing for sustained operating stress.
MIL-STD-883 TM 1015. Provides burn-in used to precipitate early-life failures under the controlling screening plan.

Electrical Screening

Baseline electrical characterization. Establishes the pre-stress performance reference.
Interim and post-stress electrical testing. Identifies drift, degradation, failure, and parameter-specific changes.
Room, hot, and cold testing. May be required to assess grade, margin, or application-relevant behavior.

Construction Analysis and DPA

MIL-STD-883 TM 2012. Radiography for microcircuit internal construction.
MIL-STD-883 TM 2010. Internal Visual (Monolithic) after opening.
MIL-STD-883 TM 2011. Bond strength evaluation.
JESD22-B116. Wire bond shear testing for applicable ball-bond and wire-bond constructions.
MIL-STD-883 TM 2019. Die shear strength evaluation.
MIL-STD-883 TM 2018. SEM inspection of metallization.
MIL-STD-883 TM 2021. Glassivation-layer-integrity evaluation.
Acoustic microscopy and cross-sectioning. Support package-interface and construction evaluation where required.

Radiation Assurance

Total ionizing dose. Evaluates cumulative ionizing-radiation degradation under defined bias, dose, and test conditions.
Single-event effects. Evaluates event-driven device response under the relevant particle and energy environment.
Displacement damage. Evaluates non-ionizing energy loss effects where applicable to the device technology and mission.

How a PEM Program Is Structured

1. Define the Mission and Risk Posture

Identify application, mission duration, environment, consequence of failure, repairability, radiation threats, operating conditions, and program authority.

2. Select and Categorize the Device

Review technology, package, manufacturer, source, commercial qualification, temperature rating, construction, availability, and alternatives.

3. Collect Manufacturer and Lot Evidence

Gather datasheets, qualification reports, process-change notices, assembly-site information, lot and date-code data, radiation data, and traceability.

4. Build the Qualification and Screening Matrix

Map family-level evidence, lot-specific testing, DPA, electrical screening, environmental stress, radiation, controls, sample quantities, and acceptance criteria.

5. Control Moisture, ESD, Storage, and Handling

Preserve device condition through receipt, dry-pack control, floor-life tracking, bake, preconditioning, ESD handling, and sample segregation.

6. Execute Baseline and Stress Testing

Perform defined electrical, environmental, burn-in, life, radiation, and assembly-simulation activities.

7. Perform Destructive Subgroup Analysis

Evaluate representative samples for construction, bond, die attach, metallization, glassivation, delamination, and other specified attributes.

8. Evaluate Results and Deviations

Correlate test data, DPA findings, failures, drift, lot variability, and deviations against the approved plan.

9. Deliver the Evidence Package

Provide the records needed for the customer or cognizant authority to make the mission-suitability and lot-disposition decision.

PEM Qualification and Screening Capabilities

Device categorization and qualification-plan support
Traceability and technical-document review
External visual and dimensional inspection
Radiographic inspection
Moisture and reflow sensitivity evaluation
Preconditioning and assembly simulation
Temperature cycling, humidity, and environmental stress
Baseline, interim, and post-stress electrical testing
Burn-in and life testing
DPA, decapsulation, internal visual, bond testing, die shear, SEM/EDS, acoustic microscopy, and cross-section support
Radiation-effects testing or coordination where confirmed
Failure analysis of qualification and screening anomalies
Controlled sample tracking and engineering reporting

PEM Qualification and Screening Deliverables

AAA’s PEM deliverable package is expected to connect every test, sample subgroup, and result to the approved qualification or screening plan. The final evidence package supports the responsible program authority’s mission-suitability, lot-disposition, change-control, and risk-acceptance decisions.

Approved qualification, screening, DPA, radiation, and sample-allocation matrix
Device, manufacturer, package, technology, source, lot, date-code, and traceability records
Manufacturer qualification data, similarity rationale, process-change information, and identified data gaps
Baseline, interim, and post-stress electrical data with parameter drift or failure identification
Moisture, handling, preconditioning, reflow, environmental, burn-in, and life-test records
Radiographic, acoustic, DPA, internal visual, bond, die-shear, SEM/EDS, XRF, and cross-section evidence as applicable
Radiation test data, coordination records, or applicability analysis as defined by the plan
Failures, anomalies, deviations, resampling decisions, and failure-analysis results
Construction, process, lot, and change-control observations
Engineering summary of evidence, limitations, unresolved risks, and recommended follow-on actions
Final qualification or screening report package with supporting data, plots, images, and certificates as required

What PEM Results Can Show

Whether the available family and technology evidence supports the defined qualification plan
Whether the submitted lot contains early-life, electrical, construction, workmanship, or process anomalies
How the package responds to moisture, preconditioning, reflow, temperature, humidity, operating stress, and other defined conditions
Whether construction and material findings are consistent across the sampled population
Whether measured drift or failures require resampling, additional screening, failure analysis, supplier escalation, or rejection
Which evidence supports the program’s mission-suitability and lot-disposition decision

What PEM Qualification and Screening Cannot Establish

Testing cannot create quality that was not designed or manufactured into the device. Screening can remove detected defects; it cannot screen quality into a deficient design or process.
No generic test flow creates a universal space-grade component. Suitability remains tied to the specific mission, application, lot, construction, and accepted risk.
Passing screening does not equal qualification. Screening addresses the submitted lot; qualification addresses design, technology, and mission suitability.
Commercial qualification data are not automatically mission qualification. AEC, JESD, manufacturer, or historical data may not cover the required environment or consequence of failure.
Environmental testing does not establish radiation suitability. Radiation evidence must address the applicable threats and technology.
DPA does not replace electrical, life, environmental, or radiation evidence. It addresses internal construction and workmanship.
Testing alone does not prove authentic provenance. Traceability and counterfeit-risk evaluation remain separate.

Common PEM Program Misapplications

Treating Qualification and Screening as the Same Activity

The two activities answer different risk questions and require different evidence.

Applying One Standard to Every Plastic Semiconductor

PEMs and PEDS have different device structures, methods, and failure mechanisms. Space and military or avionics applications also differ.

Using Fixed Stress Conditions Without Mission Context

A published example condition may be inappropriate for the device, package, reflow process, radiation environment, or program risk.

Assuming a Same Part Number Means the Same Construction

Commercial devices may change wafer fabrication, assembly site, mold compound, die revision, lead finish, or process while retaining the same marketed part number.

Treating MSL as Long-Term Reliability Qualification

J-STD-020 classifies moisture and reflow sensitivity; it does not establish mission life.

Ignoring Handling After Qualification

Moisture, ESD, storage, floor-life, and reflow controls must preserve the qualified device condition through integration.

When PEM Qualification and Screening Alone Are Not Sufficient

Radiation Hardness Assurance. Required when the mission includes TID, SEE, displacement damage, or other radiation threats.
Failure Analysis. Required when qualification or screening identifies an unexplained failure, drift, or construction anomaly.
System and Board-Level Qualification. Required where package-level evidence does not capture assembly, thermal, power, software, mechanical, or system interactions.
Counterfeit Detection. Required where source history, traceability, remarking, material substitution, or identity inconsistency is the primary concern.
Supplier Process Evidence. Required when the qualification decision depends on manufacturer-controlled wafer, assembly, material, process-change, or reliability data.
Ongoing Change Control. Required to preserve qualification applicability when the device or production baseline changes.

Credentials Relevant to PEM Work

PEM programs rely on controlled environmental, electrical, physical-analysis, radiation, and handling processes. AAA maintains quality, laboratory, ESD-control, security, and method-specific credentials applicable to its confirmed scope.

Where the plan invokes one or more exact test methods, the proposal and reporting package should identify the governing method, condition, sample allocation, and reporting requirements explicitly. Current laboratory credentials are available on the Accreditations & Certifications page.

How to Evaluate a PEM Qualification Laboratory

Qualification and screening separation. The laboratory should explain which activities address family or technology suitability and which address the submitted lot.
Mission-based tailoring. The plan should map the device, package, application, environment, radiation threats, and accepted risk to the selected evidence.
Construction-analysis depth. DPA, radiography, acoustic microscopy, cross-sectioning, bond evaluation, die shear, and microscopy should be available where required.
Electrical test capability. Fixtures, bias, temperature, parameter coverage, datalogging, and post-stress comparison must match the device and plan.
Moisture and reflow control. The laboratory should distinguish MSL classification, handling, preconditioning, and reliability stress.
Radiation integration. Radiation evidence should be planned with the device technology, lot, bias, dose, and mission environment in mind.
Sample allocation and controls. The plan must reserve samples for screening, qualification, DPA, radiation, controls, resampling, and failure analysis.
Change and deviation management. Unexpected failures, drift, missing data, or process changes should trigger documented engineering decisions.
Reporting quality. The final package should connect each result to the approved plan and clearly identify limitations, deviations, and unresolved risks.

What AAA Needs to Quote PEM Qualification or Screening

Manufacturer, part number, device family, package, technology, and temperature grade
Intended application, mission profile, operating conditions, consequence of failure, and program risk class
Applicable requirement set, revision, customer flow, or qualification plan
Manufacturer qualification data, process-change notices, reliability data, and radiation data
Lot, date code, assembly site, source, traceability, and quantity available
Screening quantity and destructive subgroup allocation
Electrical parameters, temperatures, bias, fixtures, vectors, and acceptance limits
Moisture, reflow, environmental, burn-in, life, and radiation requirements
Known anomalies, previous testing, failures, or supplier concerns
Reporting, review, schedule, sample-retention, and escalation requirements

PEM Qualification and Screening FAQs

Does AAA Engineering & Test Lab perform PEM qualification?

Yes. AAA supports customer-defined qualification programs for plastic-encapsulated microcircuits and other confirmed plastic-packaged semiconductor devices using NASA, SAE, JEDEC, MIL-STD, and program-specific requirements.

Does AAA perform PEM screening?

Yes. AAA supports lot-specific PEM screening using the electrical, environmental, burn-in, life, visual, and physical-analysis activities defined by the approved screening plan.

Can AAA support NASA PEM-INST-001 qualification and screening?

AAA can support customer-defined programs based on NASA PEM-INST-001, including applicable qualification, screening, DPA, radiation, handling, and lot-specific evidence requirements.

Does AAA support AS6294 PEM qualification?

AAA supports qualification planning and testing aligned with the applicable AS6294 family document for confirmed device types and applications.

Does AAA perform DPA as part of PEM qualification?

Yes. AAA performs DPA and performs or supports testing to applicable MIL-STD-883 and MIL-STD-750 visual, radiographic, bond, die-shear, SEM, and glassivation methods used within PEM construction analysis.

Does AAA perform MIL-STD-883 TM 1015 Burn-In for PEM screening?

Yes. AAA performs testing to MIL-STD-883 TM 1015 Burn-In for applicable customer-defined PEM qualification and screening programs.

Does AAA perform MIL-STD-883 TM 1010 Temperature Cycling?

Yes. AAA performs testing to MIL-STD-883 TM 1010 Temperature Cycling for applicable customer-defined PEM qualification and screening programs.

Can AAA qualify a commercial component for space use?

AAA can generate test and analysis evidence for a customer-approved mission-specific qualification plan. Testing does not create universal space-grade status or replace the responsible program authority’s suitability decision.

What information does AAA need to quote a PEM program?

AAA needs the device identity, application, mission environment, program risk requirements, lot and traceability information, available manufacturer data, electrical parameters, sample quantity, required stresses, radiation needs, reporting requirements, and schedule.

What is the difference between PEM qualification and PEM screening?

Qualification builds evidence about the suitability of the device design, technology, and construction for the mission. Screening applies defined stresses and electrical tests to the submitted lot to remove detected defects and reduce early-life failures.

Can testing convert a commercial component into a space-grade component?

No. Testing can reduce uncertainty and generate mission-specific evidence, but it cannot create missing design or manufacturing quality or establish universal space-grade status.

Why is lot-specific testing often required?

Commercial products may have limited wafer-to-assembly traceability, multiple production sites, material changes, die revisions, and process variation. The same marketed part number may not guarantee an unchanged construction baseline.

What is the difference between J-STD-020 and J-STD-033?

J-STD-020 classifies moisture and reflow sensitivity. J-STD-033 controls handling, packing, shipping, floor life, shelf life, drying, and use based on that sensitivity.

Does preconditioning qualify the device?

No. JESD22-A113 simulates assembly exposure before subsequent reliability testing. It creates the test condition; it is not the complete qualification.

Does every PEM program require radiation testing?

Not every application has the same radiation environment. The program must assess the relevant threats and determine whether existing data, analysis, or lot-specific testing is required.

Can one qualification cover future lots?

Only if the program’s similarity, traceability, process control, and change-management rules support continued applicability. Material changes, assembly-site changes, die revisions, or other baseline changes may require reevaluation.

Why Customers Choose AAA Engineering

American Owned: We are 100% American owned, and operated by veterans of the US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, and US Navy.
Proven Expertise: 15+ years of upscreening and component data.
Technical Authority: Skilled in MIL-STD, NASA, and AS6171 standards.
Certified Excellence: ISO/IEC 17025, AS6081, AS6171, ISO 9001/AS9100, ANSI/ESD S20.20, ITAR-registered.
Trusted Results: Transparent, traceable data logs for reliability.
Scalable Solutions: Supports prototype to production volumes.

Ready To Qualify Your Plastic Encapsulated Microcircuits?

Contact our PEM Qual engineering team today to ensure your components can stand up to the most rigorous conditions and deliver mission success.

PEM Qualification and Screening forHigh-Reliability Electronics

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