Nonequilibrium 1/f noise and hardware reliability

A method for the calculated estimation of the reliability of hardware elements is proposed, which does not require long testing of the experimental samples. Known effects are used: some interdependence (at least correlation) exists between the intensity of 1/f noise and non-failure operating time of electronic components. We suggest considering 1/f noise as fluctuations of reactive energy (of both electric energy of capacitances and magnetic energy of inductances) but not of dissipated power (power of resistance). Such a proposition follows from a supposition (assumption) about frequency independence of stochastic fluctuations of reactive power. Fluctuations of reactive energy must be 1/f frequency dependent, as integrals of only one nonergodic realization of uniform oscillations of changing energy velocity. Equivalent circuits of noise analysis elements must have both the idealized inductances and the idealized capacitances. The lowest observed frequency of 1/f fluctuation of energy equals 1/(2t/sub op/) where t/sub op/ is the duration of continuous device operation. The increase of such period raises the probability of the element's failure. Formulas are proposed for a priori estimation of both intensity of 1/f noise and mean-time-between-failures of elements.