Improved approximations for structural reliability in thermal analysis

Thermal analysis of electronic components-a critical step in assessing the reliability of a system-involves the determination of the temperature field as a function of certain design parameters which are normally subjected to error. This paper presents a general method to quantify the importance of these errors (or uncertainties) in the determination of the temperature field, and ultimately, in the assessment of the reliability of the system. An example of application, as well as the advantages of the present method, is discussed.