CAF in Composite Printed-Circuit Substrates: Characterization, Modeling and a Resistant Material

In papers presented at the 1979 IRPS it was reported that failure of printed-circuit boards due to conductive anodic filaments (CAF) posed a potential reliability problem for applications involving high circuit density, hostile environments and/or low power dissipation. In this paper, the results of a study to characterize the CAF phenomenon with respect to temperature, humidity, applied voltage, and other factors are reported. Further aspects of the mechanism of failure are explored. The results of extensive testing of a CAF-resistant material, triazine/glass, are presented.