Element Provides Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Testing Services for PCB Reliability and Failure Analysis

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Element, a global testing, inspection, and certification company providing services to support product quality, safety, and compliance across industries, provides Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) testing services to determine the reliability of printed circuit board (PCB) laminate materials and finished PCB products by detecting electrochemical migration of copper salts that can lead to shorting and product failure.

CAF testing at Element uses standard or custom coupon designs, including varied hole sizes, hole-to-hole spacing, hole-to-plane spacing, Z-axis spacing, and glass fiber orientations to assess failure modes. Testing can be conducted as standalone evaluations, for IPC-4101 qualifications, along with additional standards, or as part of OEM specifications. Testing is performed under high temperature and humidity conditions in accordance with IPC-TM-650, Method 2.6.25A.

Element’s CAF testing capabilities cover both standard coupon designs and custom OEM specifications. Testing samples are conducted for 596 hours with applied bias voltage. Data is analyzed for resistance drops or shorting, and failure analysis is performed when CAF growth is suspected.

Materials and components tested include PCB laminate materials, finished PCB products, electronic components, circuit board non-metallic portions, copper components, standard test coupons, and custom OEM coupons. Element’s specialist laboratories in Anaheim and Baltimore, USA, provide CAF testing services.

Element provides CAF testing as part of its broader PCB testing and inspection services, supported by a global testing network, experience in electronics and PCB testing, and services that cover testing, inspection, and certification across the product lifecycle.

Click here to learn more about the CAF testing by Element.