Generic Parameterization of Lifetime Distributions.

In statistics and in reliability it is conventional to define a new set of parameters for each cumulative distribution function. In contrast this note pleads the cause of generic parameters. In particular, the standard deviation of the natural logarithm of the lifetime and the median of the lifetime are shown to be attractive generic parameters for semiconductor-device lifetimes. These two generic parameters are then evaluated for Weibull, exponential, lognormal, and nonparametric representations of the lifetime distribution.