Automotive demands for quality and reliability in microelectronics.

This paper describes the automotive electronics market with its pressures to increase quality and reliability while reducing cost. It details the relative improvement that has occurred in electronic part reliability since 1990 and the decreasing market share the automotive segment represents in the semiconductor industry. It discusses how Chrysler, Delco Electronics and Ford formed the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) to standardize on part qualification methods for the automotive market. It also discusses the guidelines for continuous improvement in part quality and reliability the AEC has developed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]