Stress sensitivity of a 16 - bit D/A converter in a molded plastic DIP has been studied. Device performance was shown to change as a function of package stress. The effects of die position in the package and the presence or absence of die coat on package stress and device performance were determined. Finite element methods were employed for system analysis. Device stress sensitivity was attributed to diffused bit transistors and the mechanism assigned to nonuniformity of stress on the device bit transistors. Die coat (silicone gel) was shown to reduce normal and shear stresses and have little or no effect on X-axial stresses. Lowering the die in the package was shown to increase the X-axial stress uniformity from the die center to edge for die-coated parts and alter the value of shear stresses near the die edge for parts without die coat.