Reliability problems with VLSI

The extraordinary development of the integrated circuits has gone hand in hand with an increase in reliability; however the speed of evolution itself brings about greater reliability risks, due to strong competition in the market, and the reduction in the dimensions of the devices causes an increase in the electric fields and current densities.The failure mechanisms that are expected to be most dangerous are thin oxide breakdown, hot electron effects, metal-semiconductor interactions, electromigration and soft errors.