Failure Analysis on LEDs

[juan_mexia]

Hello,

I've been reading some of the posts on this forum and I have not found anything related with failure analysis of LEDs.
Do you know how to perform a failure analysis on LEDs? How to remove the encapsulation?
I am interested in the techniques used to analyze LEDs.

Thanks,
JP

 

[CampingLED]

:welcome:

Perhaps you can start by reading a reliability datasheet of a LED. That should give you an idea of what the manufacturers are looking at. Link for Cree XR-E one.

 

[saabluster]

I would start your studies here.

 

[romulus]

Hey JP,
About 15 years ago I had to perform batch testing on 300 Hi Eff. red LEDs. Part of the protocol was to zap them under various conditions.
What I noticed was that if you apply simulated static (2kv @ 50us)
death was instant - very little thermal damage except to the die junction.
If you exceed the rated values by just 2x, you get a much more
pronounced thermal damage pattern, the diffused red epoxy became
discolored (Dark Brown) with that smell of burnt semiconductor lingering
on the LED.

I also milled .002" sections and took macro photos of the areas above
and just at the die junction. This testing was purely impirical - no advanced science, we were just looking to develop a test method.