The purpose of this part of IEC 60749 is to test and determine the effect on all solid state electronic devices of storage at elevated temperature without electrical stress applied. This test is typically used to determine the effects of time and temperature, under storage conditions, for thermally activated failure methods and time-to-failure of solid state electronic devices, including non-volatile memory devices (data-retention failure mechanisms). This test is considered non-destructive but should preferably be used for device qualification. If such devices are used for delivery, the effects of this highly accelerated stress test will need to be evaluated.

Thermally activated failure mechanisms are modelled using the Arrhenius equation for acceleration, and guidance on the selection of test temperatures and durations can be found in IEC 60749‑43.