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76 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2025 Trouble in Your Tank Feature Column by Michael Carano, IPC CONSULTANT Yield Improvement and Reliability ere's a simple rule of busi- ness in manufacturing: "It is all about yields." Higher yields for your products allow for increased prof- its and satisfied customers. When there are lower yields, overall cost to manufacture increases, and the additional time and strain on the factory floor affect the entire operation. Lower yields are oen the result of "pro- cess dri," when critical pro- cess parameters and specialized plating additives fall outside their acceptable ranges. While this may still allow, for example, for a circuit board to pass the electrical test, process dri and out-of-specification parame- ters will invite reliability failures at some point when the electronic system is in service. In my prior columns on technology, defect analysis, and prevention, I discussed not only the type of defects and their causes but also how to prevent them. TGW (Things go Wrong) Inevitably, things occasionally go wrong. at doesn't mean yield loss and reliabil- ity failures are accept- able. ere is always some fallout. How- ever, use of certain tools (process audits, statistical process con- trol, etc.), analytical controls, proper train- ing (and constant re- training of personnel), and use of IPC test methods go a long way to enhance yields and long-term reliability. Defining Quality Quality can mean differ- ent things to different people— from customer satisfaction and meet- ing specifications to value. However, meeting requirements is no longer sufficient in today's high-tech arena. We must always strive to improve beyond simply adhering to specifica- tions or blueprints. ink of quality as meeting a target condition (see examples in the IPC- 600 and IPC-610 acceptability documents). By tightening quality requirements, compa- nies then concentrate on getting close to the target condition. In other words, minimize those situations where nonconformances arise and the product is defective. As is well- defined in IPC-600 and IPC-610, the target is the ideal condition.