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Diagnostic techniques for failure analysis and reliability evaluation in VLSI technology
Author(s) -
van der Wijk A.,
Werner H. W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740160155
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , chip , very large scale integration , computer science , integrated circuit , process (computing) , reliability engineering , new product development , process engineering , nanotechnology , electronic engineering , materials science , engineering , embedded system , power (physics) , telecommunications , physics , quantum mechanics , marketing , business , operating system
Abstract The essential issue in the development of integrated circuit (IC) technologies that allow the arrangement of high densities of electronic components on a single substrate (very‐large‐scale integration technology) is the capability of making a reliable product in a reliable process. To maximize product yield and reliability, modern IC technology requires the availability of a broad range of analytical techniques: on the one hand, techniques that provide fast feed‐back to the process to improve control of the parameters (process monitoring); on the other hand, techniques that allow accruate analysis of failed products (failure analysis). In this contribution the importance of diagnostic techniques for failure analysis will be demonstrated by means of some typical case studies. These include non‐destructive investigations (scanning acoustic tomography) to study the effect of poor adhesion between chip and encapsulant and to study the bonding quality. Furthermore, dendrite‐like structures on the decapsulated chip have been identified with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x‐ray analysis (EDXA). In addition, an example will be included that shows the limitations of the performance of the present‐day analytical techniques. The conclusions are: (1) the availability of a large variety of powerful analytical techniques is essential for the development of advanced IC technologies; (2) as a result of the reduction in physical size of the structures on an IC, the limits of performance (in particular, the product of spatial resolution and detection limits) of the present‐day analytical techniques is being approached; (3) there is an increasing need, stimulated by high costs of analysis and required fast feedback of the results, for ‘non‐destructive’ diagnostic techniques.