Packages made from polymeric materials as opposed to traditional hermetic seals (i.e. metal, ceramic etc) require a different approach from a hermeticity testing standpoint. The problem is now one of moisture diffusion through the barrier and package interfaces, which is different that water vapor permeating a crack in a glass to metal interface. A brief review of the techniques and methods to evaluate a “non-hermetic” approach is presented along with a discussion of the pitfalls and issues of TM 1014 and TM 1018 as applied to a “near hermetic package”.
