Prognostics and RUL Estimations of SAC305, SAC105 and SnAg Solders Under Temperature and Vibration Using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Deep Learning

Prognostics and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) estimations of complex systems are essential to operational safety, increased efficiency, and help to schedule maintenance proactively. Modeling the remaining useful life of a system with many complexities is possible with the rapid development in the field of deep learning as a computational technique for failure prediction. Deep learning can adapt to multivariate parameters complex and nonlinear behavior, which is difficult using traditional time-series models for forecasting and prediction purposes. In this paper, a deep learning approach based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network is used to predict the remaining useful life of the PCB at different conditions of temperature and vibration. This technique can identify the different underlying patterns in the time series that can predict the RUL. This study involves feature vector identification and RUL estimations for SAC305, SAC105, and Tin Lead solder PCBs under different vibration levels and temperature conditions. The acceleration levels of vibration are fixed at 5g and 10g, while the temperature levels are 55°C and 100°C. The test board is a multilayer FR4 configuration with JEDEC standard dimensions consists of twelve packages arranged in a rectangular pattern. Strain signals are acquired from the backside of the PCB at symmetric locations to identify the failure of all the packages during vibration. The strain signals are resistance values that are acquired simultaneously during the experiment until the failure of most of the packages on the board. The feature vectors are identified from statistical analysis on the strain signals frequency and instantaneous frequency components. The principal component analysis is used as a data reduction technique to identify the different patterns produced from the four strain signals with failures of the packages during vibration. LSTM deep learning method is used to model the RUL of the packages at different individual operating conditions of vibration for all three solder materials involved in this study. A combined model for RUL prediction for a material that can take care of the changes in the operating conditions is also modeled for each material.