Failure Analysis Services
Root cause failure analysis for metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors and electronic assemblies, from an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab in Silicon Valley.
When a part cracks, corrodes, delaminates or stops working, you need to know why. Often you also need evidence that a customer, supplier or court will accept. Covalent's failure analysis services pair 75+ analytical instruments with materials scientists who run each investigation from the first inspection to the final report. Most reports ship in about five business days, and one-day rush is available.
What Is Failure Analysis?
Failure analysis is the systematic investigation of why a component, material or product failed. It uses visual inspection, nondestructive testing, microscopy and chemical analysis to identify the failure mode, the mechanism behind it and the root cause, so engineers can correct the problem and keep it from happening again.
An investigation works through three questions in order. First, what happened: the failure mode, such as a fatigue fracture or a short circuit. Second, how it happened: the mechanism, such as cyclic loading concentrated at an undersized fillet radius. Third, why it happened: the design, material, process or service condition that allowed it. Investigations that stop at the failure mode often produce fixes that don't hold.
When to order a failure analysis
- A part fails in the field, in qualification testing or on the line, and the cause isn't obvious
- Warranty returns or customer complaints cluster around one product, lot or supplier
- Yield drops and your process controls don't explain it
- You see cracking, corrosion, discoloration, delamination, residue or contamination
- A supplier dispute, insurance claim or lawsuit needs independent, documented evidence
- You're qualifying a new material, supplier or process and want to see how it fails before it reaches customers
Types of failure we investigate
Failure type | Typical signs | Techniques we use |
|---|---|---|
Fracture and fatigue | Cracks, beach marks, sudden breakage, ductile or brittle fracture surfaces | Stereo microscopy, SEM fractography, metallographic cross-sections, hardness, tensile testing |
Corrosion and environmental cracking | Pitting, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), hydrogen embrittlement, galvanic attack | SEM-EDS, XPS, XRD, cross-sections, Auger |
Contamination and residues | Haze, films, particles, adhesion loss, outgassing | FTIR, Raman, ToF-SIMS, XPS, GC-MS, SEM-EDS |
Coating and adhesion failures | Delamination, blistering, peeling, poor bonding | Cross-sections, SAM, XPS depth profiling, contact angle, FIB-SEM |
Polymer and plastic failures | Embrittlement, crazing, warping, discoloration, chemical attack | FTIR, DSC, TGA, DMA, GPC, SEM |
Electronic and semiconductor failures | Opens, shorts, leakage, EOS/ESD damage, solder joint cracks, voids | 2D X-ray, micro-CT, SAM, FIB-SEM, TEM, cross-sections |
Manufacturing and process defects | Porosity, inclusions, voids, weld defects, out-of-spec dimensions | Micro-CT, metallography, optical profilometry, white light interferometry |
Thermal damage | Overheating, warpage, CTE mismatch, thermal cycling cracks | TMA, DSC, TGA, cross-sections, SEM |
Our failure analysis process
Each investigation moves from nondestructive to destructive methods, so the evidence is documented before anything is cut or altered.
- Scoping call. A materials scientist reviews the failure history, the service conditions and the decision you need to make, then sends a test plan and quote.
- Sample intake. We log and photograph samples on arrival. Chain-of-custody documentation is available for legal and insurance work.
- Nondestructive examination. Optical inspection, 2D X-ray, micro-CT and scanning acoustic microscopy locate the defect without changing it.
- Targeted destructive analysis. Cross-sectioning, FIB-SEM, fractography and chemical analysis at the failure site.
- Comparison with a good part. When you can send a passing sample, we test it alongside the failed one to separate the cause from normal part-to-part variation.
- Root cause and report. You get a written report with annotated images, the data, the failure mechanism, the most likely root cause and recommended corrective actions. The scientist who ran the work then walks you through it on a call.
Failure analysis techniques
Most failure analysis work runs on the 75+ instruments in our Sunnyvale lab, so an investigation can move from X-ray to FIB to surface chemistry without waiting on another facility. When a case needs a technique we don't run in-house, we send that part of the work to a partner lab in our Covalent Connect network. You still work with one Covalent scientist and get one report.
- Microscopy: SEM, TEM, FIB-SEM, optical and stereo microscopy, white light interferometry
- Nondestructive inspection: 2D X-ray inspection, micro-CT, scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM)
- Elemental and surface chemistry: SEM-EDS, XPS, ToF-SIMS, Auger, XRF
- Molecular and organic analysis: FTIR, Raman, GC-MS
- Structure and phase: XRD, metallography, mechanical cross-section analysis
- Thermal and mechanical: DSC, TGA, DMA, TMA, hardness, tensile testing
Industries we support
- Semiconductor: die-level and package failures, delamination, wire bond and bump failures, contamination from process tools
- Electronics and PCBA: solder joint fatigue, conductive anodic filament, voiding, connector corrosion
- Medical devices: implant and component fractures, polymer degradation, residues relevant to biocompatibility
- Aerospace and defense: fatigue and corrosion in structural metals, coating failures, composite delamination
- Energy and batteries: electrode and separator failures, lithium plating, cell swelling, solar module degradation
- Industrial and consumer products: cracked housings, failed fasteners and welds, wear, contamination
Why Choose Covalent for Your Failure Analysis Needs?
Our 30,000 ft² lab holds 75+ instruments and more than $25M in instrumentation, so the test plan can follow what the evidence shows. The lab is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 across 60+ analytical methods, 70% of our staff hold PhDs or advanced degrees, and more than 1,500 companies have sent us work. You talk directly to the scientist running your samples. Reports arrive in about five business days (one day on rush) and include a plain-language root cause summary, annotated images with the raw data, corrective action recommendations and a review call with that scientist. Chain-of-custody documentation for warranty, insurance, IP or litigation support is available on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a turnaround time?
Typically, we are sending a report within 5 days; however, we have the option to expedite the rush level of the job to a 1-day TAT.
Are you providing the service of disassembly of failed parts and preparing samples for different testing?
Yes, our experienced team will take care of all stages of sample preparation.
What are the warning signs that I need Failure Analysis right away?
You may need failure analysis right away if you notice unexpected device or material performance issues such as sudden breakdowns, abnormal electrical or mechanical behavior, or unexplained contamination or defects. Other warning signs include recurring failures despite process controls, visible cracks or delamination, and critical yield losses.
Can you help with litigation or insurance claims?
Yes. FA results can be used to support forensic investigations for insurance, warranty disputes, intellectual property protection, and legal proceedings. A detailed, documented report with high-resolution imagery and expert interpretation is provided.
What information should I include when submitting a failed sample?
Include as much context as possible:
- Service conditions (temperature, load, chemicals).
- How long the part was in use.
- Observed failure symptoms.
- Drawings/specs (if available).
- Safety documentation (if relevant).