Meaning
Permanent material deformation can occur even under conditions of low thermal and mechanical loading. This low temperature creep is a major factor in the long-term stability of mounting structures and adhesive bonds within electronic assemblies.
Material Deformation
Stress relaxation and micro-structural reorganization occur gradually over months or years of continuous operation. Even at room temperature, the constant tension applied by a mounting clip can cause a quartz crystal’s supports to undergo low temperature creep. This shift alters the physical stress on the resonator plate and leads to a gradual change in its operating frequency.
Materials must be selected with high resistance to this phenomenon to ensure stable long-term performance.
Resonator Stability
Frequency drift is the most common operational consequence of this gradual material movement. If the adhesive used to mount the crystal exhibits low temperature creep, the angle of the crystal plate can shift slightly. This minor shift disrupts the calibrated temperature compensation and causes the device to exceed its specified frequency tolerances.
High-precision timing systems rely on stable materials to prevent these issues.
Supplier Warranty
Distribution agreements must address the long-term reliability of components prone to this type of degradation. If a batch of oscillators fails due to low temperature creep within the warranty period, the supplier is responsible for replacing the units. This liability requires the manufacturer to perform accelerated aging tests to verify the stability of their mounting designs.
The warranty clause protects the distributor from bearing the financial consequences of slow material failure in the field.
