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Reliability is the ability of a product or system to perform as intended (i.e., without failure and within specified performance limits) for a specified time, in its life‐cycle environment. Commonly used electronics reliability prediction methods (e.g., Mil‐HDBK‐217, 217‐PLUS, PRISM, Telcordia, FIDES) based on handbook methods have been shown to be misleading and provide erroneous life predictions. The use of stress and damage models permits a far superior accounting of the reliability and the physics of failure (PoF); however, sufficient knowledge of the actual operating and environmental application conditions of the product is still required.

This article presents a PoF‐based prognostics and health management approach for effective reliability prediction. PoF is an approach that utilizes knowledge of a product's life‐cycle loading and failure mechanisms to perform reliability modeling, design, and assessment …