Dr. Milton Ohring, author of two previously acclaimed Academic Press books,The Materials Science of Thin Films (l992) and Engineering Materials Science (1995), has taught courses on reliability and failure in electronics at Bell Laboratories (AT&T and Lucent Technologies). From this perspective and the well-written tutorial style of the book, the reader will gain a deeper physical understanding of failure mechanisms in electronic materials and devices; acquire skills in the mathematical handling of reliability data; and better appreciate future technology trends and the reliability issues they raise. In 1988, Dr Lucian Kasprzak became an IEEE Fellow “For contributions to very-largescale-integrated devices through the integration of reliability physics with process development.” He discovered the hot-electron effect in short channel field-effect transistors, while at IBM in 1973. From 1992 to 1996, he was Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering Science at Franciscan University. He retired from IBM in 1995 after 30 years. In 1996, he joined Sterling Diagnostic Imaging as Reliability Manager for the Direct Radiography Program. He became Director of Reliability at Direct Radiography Corp. in 1997. Early in 2001 he became an independent Reliability Consultant.

• 1. An Overview of Electronic Devices and Their Reliability2. Electronic Devices: Materials Properties Determine How They Operate and Are Fabricated3. Defects, Contamination and Yield4. The Mathematics of Failure and Reliability5. Mass Transport-Induced Failure6. Electronic Charge-Induced Damage7. Environmental Damage to Electronic Products8. Packaging Materials, Processes, and Stresses9. Degradation of Contacts and Packages10. Degradation and Failure of Electro-Optical and Magnetic Materials and Devices11. Characterization and Failure Analysis of Material, Devices and Packages12. Future Directions and Reliability Issues