autoclave test

**Autoclave Test** (Pressure Cooker Test, PCT) is a **highly accelerated moisture resistance test** — exposing unbiased (unpowered) packaged ICs to saturated steam (100% RH) at high temperature and pressure to test the hermeticity and moisture resistance of the package. **What Is the Autoclave Test?** - **Conditions**: 121°C, 100% RH, 2 atm (15 psig), unbiased. - **Duration**: 96-168 hours (JEDEC JESD22-A102). - **Mechanism**: Saturated steam forces moisture into every possible ingress point. - **Failure Modes**: Package delamination, bond pad corrosion, die attach degradation. **Why It Matters** - **Package Integrity**: The most aggressive test for package sealing quality. - **Material Selection**: Qualifies mold compounds, die attach adhesives, and lead frame plating. - **Legacy**: Being gradually replaced by HAST for biased testing, but still used for unbiased qualification. **Autoclave Test** is **the ultimate moisture assault** — subjecting packages to conditions far worse than any real-world environment to validate long-term integrity.