Which testing method is usually destructive?

Which testing method is usually destructive?

• A. Burn-in testing
• B. Functional testing
• C. In-circuit testing
• D. HAST

Answer: (D)

HAST, or Highly Accelerated Stress Test, is the method that is usually destructive. It drives devices under extreme humidity and elevated temperature (and often voltage) to aggressively accelerate failure mechanisms. This combination promotes moisture-related issues, corrosion, delamination, and other irreversible damage, so many units fail or are permanently damaged during the test. In contrast, functional and in-circuit tests verify operation or connectivity without intentionally harming the part, and burn-in tests aim to reveal early-life failures but aren’t designed to destroy most units.

HAST, or Highly Accelerated Stress Test, is the method that is usually destructive. It drives devices under extreme humidity and elevated temperature (and often voltage) to aggressively accelerate failure mechanisms. This combination promotes moisture-related issues, corrosion, delamination, and other irreversible damage, so many units fail or are permanently damaged during the test. In contrast, functional and in-circuit tests verify operation or connectivity without intentionally harming the part, and burn-in tests aim to reveal early-life failures but aren’t designed to destroy most units.