CCD reliability and failure mechanisms study

The work described in this paper was done under ESA contract (ESTEC/N-o 10643/94/NL/NBV (SC)). Responsability for the contents resides in the author or organisation that prepared it. The ''Charge Coupled Device'' (CCD) technology has already been used in spaceborne applications and current developments indicate that the technology will find increasing space applications. CCD's are highly complex products. To that purpose, a full reliability study has been performed which considers the most important failure mechanisms regarding the space stress and the mission durations, in order to propose a representative steering document which enables an easier formulation of a comprehensive ''Evaluation Test Programme'' (ETP) to cover a broad variety of CCD types. This study has used reliability data and functional analysis, stemming from 7 linear arrays and 13 area arrays, for star traker, intersatellite links, space astronomy, spectrometry, earth and planet observation, and solar sensor space application. The device choice covers : 2 die technologies, Package bottom type (DIL and PGA) with several window types (anti-reflection coating...) and several add-ons : UV coating. Color filter. Thinning for back illuminated devices. Butting. Fiber Optic Face-Plate. For each prevalent space failure mechanism, in order to perform an ETP approach, the life time margin has been estimated. This document shows that CCD's reliability of TCS is in line with space targets.