IEC 61189-5-503:2017

Test methods for electrical materials, printed board and other interconnection structures and assemblies - Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies - Conductive anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards

IEC 61189-5-503:2017 specifies the conductive anodic filament (hereafter referred to as CAF) and specifies not only the steady-state temperature and humidity test, but also a temperature-humidity cyclic test and an unsaturated pressurized vapour test (HAST).

Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux électriques, les cartes imprimées et autres structures d’interconnexion et ensembles - Partie 5-503: Méthode d’essai générale pour les matériaux et les assemblages – Essais des filaments anodiques conducteurs (CAF) des cartes à circuits

L’IEC 61189-5-503:2017 spécifie le filament anodique conducteur (ci-après appelé CAF) et spécifie non seulement l’essai continu de température et d’humidité, mais aussi un essai cyclique de température-humidité et un essai de vapeur pressurisée non saturée (HAST).

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-May-2017
• ICS: 01 - GENERALITIES. TERMINOLOGY. STANDARDIZATION. DOCUMENTATION
• ICS: 27.160 - Solar energy engineering
• ICS: 31.180 - Printed circuits and boards
• Technical Committee: TC 91 - Electronics assembly technology
• Drafting Committee: WG 3 - TC 91/WG 3
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 02-Jun-2017
• Completion Date: 22-May-2017

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 61189-5-503 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Test methods for electrical materials, printed board and other interconnection
structures and assemblies –
Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies – Conductive
anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

IEC Central Office Tel.: [phone]
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About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

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latest edition, a corrigenda or an amendment might have been published.

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IEC 61189-5-503 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Test methods for electrical materials, printed board and other interconnection

structures and assemblies –
Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies – Conductive

anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 31.180 ISBN 978-2-8322-4320-6

– 2 – IEC 61189-5-503:2017  IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Testing condition . 7
4.1 Standard condition . 7
4.2 Judgment state . 8
5 Specimen . 8
5.1 Outline of CAF test vehicle design . 8
5.1.1 Evaluation design for the glass cloth direction . 8
5.1.2 Design between plated through hole (PTH) . 9
5.2 CAF test board . 10
5.2.1 Example A . 10
5.2.2 Example B . 11
5.3 Number of specimens . 13
6 Equipment/Apparatus or material . 13
6.1 Environmental test chamber . 13
6.2 Measuring equipment . 13
6.3 Power supply . 13
6.4 Current limiting resistors . 14
6.5 Connecting wire . 14
6.6 Other dedicated fixtures . 14
7 Resistance measurement method . 14
7.1 Manual insulation resistance measurement method . 14
7.2 Automatic insulation resistance measurement method . 15
8 Test method . 16
8.1 Test method selection . 16
8.2 Steady-state temperature and humidity test . 16
8.2.1 Object . 16
8.2.2 Test condition . 16
8.3 Temperature and humidity (12 h + 12 h) cycle test . 16
8.3.1 Object . 16
8.3.2 Test condition . 17
8.3.3 Number of cycles of the test . 17
8.4 Temperature and humidity cyclic test with and without low temperature
exposure . 17
8.4.1 Object . 17
8.4.2 Test condition . 17
8.5 Steady-state high temperature and high humidity (unsaturated pressurized
vapour) test . 17
8.5.1 Object . 17
8.5.2 Test condition . 18
9 Procedure . 18
9.1 Test specimen preparation . 18
9.1.1 General . 18
9.1.2 Sample identification . 18

9.1.3 Prescreen for opens and shorts . 18
9.1.4 Cleaning . 19
9.1.5 Connecting wire . 19
9.1.6 Cleaning after attachment . 19
9.1.7 Dry . 19
9.2 Precondition . 19
9.3 Test procedure . 19
9.3.1 Setting of the specimen . 19
9.3.2 Test voltage and measuring voltage . 19
9.3.3 Temperature and humidity condition at the start time of the test . 20
9.3.4 Measurement . 20
9.3.5 Procedure in test interruption . 21
9.3.6 End of test . 21
9.4 Visual inspection . 21
9.4.1 General . 21
9.4.2 Shape of electrochemical migration . 21
Annex A (informative) Forms of electrochemical migration . 22
A.1 Example of dendrite-shaped migration . 22
A.2 CAF (Example of migration along the glass fibre) . 22
Bibliography . 23

Figure 1 – Schematic of in-line test comb, with possible failure site . 8
Figure 2 – Schematic of staggered test comb, with possible failure site . 9
Figure 3 – Manhattan distance . 9
Figure 4 – Schematic section of via pair with bias . 10
Figure 5 – Example of inner layer via pads and layer patterns . 10
Figure 6 – Example of no inner layer via pads and layer patterns . 10
Figure 7 – Insulation evaluation pattern for through-holes and via holes . 11
Figure 8 – Layouts of the two versions of the CAF test boards . 12
Figure 9 – Measurement with insulation resistance meter . 15
Figure 10 – Temperature and humidity in a test . 20
Figure A.1 – Example which is generated on the board surface . 22
Figure A.2 – Example of CAF . 22

Table 1 – Dimension of insulation evaluation pattern for through-holes . 11
Table 2 – Test structures A1 through A4 design rules . 12
Table 3 – Test structures B1 through B4 design rules . 13
Table 4 – Test condition . 16
Table 5 – Number of cycles of the test . 17
Table 6 – Test condition . 17
Table 7 – Test condition (IEC 60068-2-66) . 18

– 4 – IEC 61189-5-503:2017  IEC 2017
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
TEST METHODS FOR ELECTRICAL MATERIALS, PRINTED BOARD
AND OTHER INTERCONNECTION STRUCTURES AND ASSEMBLIES –

Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies –
Conductive anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in
...

IEC 61189-5-503 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Test methods for electrical materials, printed board and other interconnection
structures and assemblies –
Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies – Conductive
anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards

Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux électriques, les cartes imprimées et autres
structures d’interconnexion et ensembles –
Partie 5-503: Méthode d’essai générale pour les matériaux et les assemblages –
Essais des filaments anodiques conducteurs (CAF) des cartes à circuits

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
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CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.

IEC publications search - webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical containing more than 22 000 terminological entries in English
committee,…). It also gives information on projects, replaced and French, with equivalent terms in 16 additional languages.
and withdrawn publications. Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary

(IEV) online.
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once a month by email. French extracted from the Terms and Definitions clause of
IEC publications issued since 2002. Some entries have been
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If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or CISPR.

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IEC 61189-5-503 ®
Edition 1.0 2017-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Test methods for electrical materials, printed board and other interconnection

structures and assemblies –
Part 5-503: General test method for materials and assemblies – Conductive

anodic filaments (CAF) testing of circuit boards

Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux électriques, les cartes imprimées et autres

structures d’interconnexion et ensembles –

Partie 5-503: Méthode d’essai générale pour les matériaux et les assemblages –

Essais des filaments anodiques conducteurs (CAF) des cartes à circuits

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 31.180 ISBN 978-2-8322-7362-3

– 2 – IEC 61189-5-503:2017  IEC 2017
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Testing condition . 7
4.1 Standard condition . 7
4.2 Judgment state . 8
5 Specimen . 8
5.1 Outline of CAF test vehicle design . 8
5.1.1 Evaluation design for the glass cloth direction . 8
5.1.2 Design between plated through hole (PTH) . 9
5.2 CAF test board . 10
5.2.1 Example A . 10
5.2.2 Example B . 11
5.3 Number of specimens . 13
6 Equipment/Apparatus or material . 13
6.1 Environmental test chamber . 13
6.2 Measuring equipment . 13
6.3 Power supply . 13
6.4 Current limiting resistors . 14
6.5 Connecting wire . 14
6.6 Other dedicated fixtures . 14
7 Resistance measurement method . 14
7.1 Manual insulation resistance measurement method . 14
7.2 Automatic insulation resistance measurement method . 15
8 Test method . 16
8.1 Test method selection . 16
8.2 Steady-state temperature and humidity test . 16
8.2.1 Object . 16
8.2.2 Test condition . 16
8.3 Temperature and humidity (12 h + 12 h) cycle test . 16
8.3.1 Object . 16
8.3.2 Test condition . 17
8.3.3 Number of cycles of the test . 17
8.4 Temperature and humidity cyclic test with and without low temperature
exposure . 17
8.4.1 Object . 17
8.4.2 Test condition . 17
8.5 Steady-state high temperature and high humidity (unsaturated pressurized
vapour) test . 17
8.5.1 Object . 17
8.5.2 Test condition . 18
9 Procedure . 18
9.1 Test specimen preparation . 18
9.1.1 General . 18
9.1.2 Sample identification . 18

9.1.3 Prescreen for opens and shorts . 18
9.1.4 Cleaning . 19
9.1.5 Connecting wire . 19
9.1.6 Cleaning after attachment . 19
9.1.7 Dry . 19
9.2 Precondition . 19
9.3 Test procedure . 19
9.3.1 Setting of the specimen . 19
9.3.2 Test voltage and measuring voltage . 19
9.3.3 Temperature and humidity condition at the start time of the test . 20
9.3.4 Measurement . 20
9.3.5 Procedure in test interruption . 21
9.3.6 End of test . 21
9.4 Visual inspection . 21
9.4.1 General . 21
9.4.2 Shape of electrochemical migration . 21
Annex A (informative) Forms of electrochemical migration . 22
A.1 Example of dendrite-shaped migration . 22
A.2 CAF (Example of migration along the glass fibre) . 22
Bibliography . 23

Figure 1 – Schematic of in-line test comb, with possible failure site . 8
Figure 2 – Schemat
...