- Rectifier Reliability - At What Cost?

Initially, only the military had stressed and specified levels of reliable performance for semiconductor devices. Now, even by many of today's commercial operating requirements, the early military standards are obsolete and unreal. Many times reliability is unspecified, but expected, and for these instances product qualification plays an important role. In relating rectifier type products and applications to reliability, this paper will summarize the latest preferred methods of conformation of same (life testing etc.), the various industry and military documents that can be of aid when determining what level of reliability is required, and what the confirmation of same can mean financially.