Invisible Threats: How Corrosion Behavior and Coating Failures Shape the Future of Electronics (RIP2026-00055)

Kapil Gupta, Ioannis Mantis, Anish Rao Lakkaraju, Jyothsna Murli Rao, Rajan Ambat

Technical University of Denmark, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Technical University of Denmark, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

Electronics have become a crucial component in every modern technologies such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles, making their long-term reliability a critical priority. As devices are increasingly miniaturized, exposed to high voltages, harsher climates, and pushed toward higher functional efficiency, the risk of corrosion-induced failures grows significantly. Yet, the corrosion mechanisms in electronics are often complex, accelerated by micro-environmental chemistries, and remain insufficiently understood. Protective coatings are widely used as a first line of defense, however, undergoes failures through moisture ingress, and/or delamination that are difficult to detect. These invisible pathways of moisture ingress, ion migration, and coating degradation present some of the most pressing challenges for next-generation electronics.
In this study, the interplay between corrosion behavior, coating degradation, and functional failure in electronic systems was investigated through controlled environmental exposures, in-situ electrochemical methods, and advanced post-characterization. Initial experiments were conducted by applying high bias voltages (upto 800V) on uncoated PCBs using specific droplet size and droplet thickness to understand the underlying corrosion mechanisms. Further, the performance of the conformal coatings was evaluated through exposure to bias voltage under cyclic climatic conditions (representative of real-world service conditions) using a climate chamber. Advanced surface and cross-sectional characterization using Scanning Electron microscopy/Energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, and 3D optical microscopy provided insights into electrochemical migration behavior, coating evolution and delamination behavior. Results demonstrated that increase in bias voltage and surface contamination can significantly increase the time to failure and coating delamination.