Methods of Material and Surface Analysis for the Evaluation of Failure Modes for Electrical Connectors

The development of autonomous vehicles and the integration of new information and communication technologies are making the reliability of electrical systems and components in modern vehicles increasingly important. Electrical connectors are a crucial component in an electrical on-board system. They are exposed to a wide variety of influences by the environment and operating conditions. Thus, the degradation of electrical connectors can occur. Material and surface analysis methods are the tools used to analyze the degradation mechanisms in connectors after lifetime tests, as well as in field operations. Within the framework of this study, a wide variety of methods from the analytical scope are presented and discussed. The connector surfaces degraded by different failure mechanisms are analyzed using various material and surface analysis methods. The quality and the nature of the analyses results obtained from various analysis methods are compared. Also, this study deals with the benefits and limitations, as well as the effort and the specific challenges of different material and surface analytical methods for the evaluation of failure mechanisms from the point of view of a material and surface analyst.