Characterizing degradation of components during reliability-evaluation studies

A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for characterizing degradation of a component in a system, wherein the method comprises:

• monitoring inferential variables associated with a specimen of the component;
• determining a time for an onset of degradation for the specimen;
• determining a time for a completion of degradation for the specimen;
• computing a time interval between the onset of degradation and the completion of degradation for the specimen;
• and
• using the time interval to look up an entry in a defect library to obtain information which characterizes the degradation of the specimen of the component.

An apparatus that characterizes degradation of a component in a system, comprising:

• a monitoring mechanism configured to monitor inferential variables associated with a specimen of the component;
• a degradation-detection mechanism configured to:
• determine a time for an onset of degradation for the specimen;
• determine a time for a completion of degradation for the specimen;
• and to
• compute a time interval between the onset of degradation and the completion of degradation for the specimen;
• and
• a defect-characterization mechanism configured to use the time interval to look up an entry in a defect library to obtain information which characterizes the degradation of the specimen of the component.