IC Designers, Failure Analysts and Quality Assurance engineers have a common problem. They need to get into a fabricated IC while keeping it viable and testable. Applications like FIB Nano-surgery, fault localisation by Thermal/Emission imaging or electrical micro-probing, all need the device to function after the Silicon is exposed. This means Decapsulation using Acid is more important than ever, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult with shrinking package sizes and Copper bondwires. Old school Jetetch machines just haven’t kept up. Each lab that offers this has its own unique and hard-won recipes. Ours uses different mixtures of fuming acids, digesters and solvents to clear and clean the die surface without compromising the die attach, bonding, bumps or lead frame. We also vary the temperature to preserve delicate structures and apply Ultrasound too. This all happens AFTER the pre-cavity laser step detailed in my previous post on this topic. This short clip shows the wet chemistry and ultrasonic steps needed to open the full surface of a die (confidential-pixelated), but even this is not the full story. How are you going to test it? Or power it up for imaging the failure mode? Soldering an open device to a test board carries risks from solder and flux damage, and the high temperatures also damage FIB modified devices with a low quality metal deposition (Pt). The simple answer is to use a socket, but can you still image the die surface once it is closed? And if you have remove the top of the package, will it still fit and make good contact? Partial decaps, or chip-and-wire type PCB mounting are straight...
NanoScope gave an Online invited Tutorial on behalf of IMAPS UK on the 18th September 2020 on the subject of Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Circuit Nano-Surgery and Failure Analysis from Board to Gate. The Tutorial Archives can be accessed here. This presentation included a comparison of Cross Sectioning techniques with a comparison of the benefits and limitations of each method. Conventional Mechanical sectioning (with extended capabilities) vs FIB micro-sectioning vs Plasma FIB Sectioning. Also included was an introduction to the techniques of Silicon IC Circuit Nano-Surgery and other IC specific techniques that are now becoming possible to perform on package substrates, system boards, complex packages and other novel die mounting...
Our latest newsletter covers: New Services complement our Inspection and Analysis Options New AFM capability for rapid turn high resolution surface analysis High-resolution thermal imaging of chips and ICs – a great complement to our existing nano-surgery services X-Ray imaging for detailed inspection of a device’s internal structure and connections Acoustic Microscopy (CSAM) for detailed before/after checks. Download it here – E-Newsletter Summer...
Our latest newsletter covers: Plastic Package Decapsulation Gel-coat removal on MEMS devices FIB modification through WL-CSP layers Follow us on LinkedIN Download it here – E-Newsletter – Spring...
NanoScope has brought Dual-Acid decapsulation in-house, and extended those capabilities. This equipment was part of a larger equipment acquisition and more FA and other capabilities will become available over the next few weeks. By bringing these capabilities in-house we can further reduce the turnaround time of decap work for our semiconductor customers needing urgent Failure Analysis or Circuit Nano-Surgery (Circuit Edit), while ensuring that the quality remains high and the costs remain low. We are very pleased to have increased the depth of expertise within our organisation for supporting a wider range of Failure Analysis applications beyond Circuit Nano-surgery, high end microscopy and physical device analysis. Gel-coat removal for MEMS devices For MEMS clients needing access to Gel coated devices for Failure Analysis, Structural Analysis or Structural modifications with FIB, we have also added a chemical etch process for packaged MEMS devices. This service is available with the same fast-turnaround as our other services. A New FIB process for accessing a device ‘through a WL-CSP package’. Circuit Nano-Surgery to a device already packaged with CSP and RDL layers, can now be easily achieved without removing the package in most cases. Working through a CSP layer adds a little time to a surgical process, but has only a small effect on the efficacy or yield of a surgical intervention. Testing advantages WL-CSP packaging can also be a shortcut for the high speed testing of 1st Silicon engineering devices prior to FlipChip packaging. Working through these layers means that more complex edits can be performed ‘top-down’, with lower costs and higher yields, producing some significant time and cost savings. Some handling...
NanoScope is bringing additional capabilities in house – from Unisem. Unisem has been a key supplier for NanoScope Services for many years, and we have worked closely together to offer our clients the best support available from both sites. The unfortunate recent closure of the Unisem Crumlin site has been widely seen as a reduction in the strategic capabilities of the UK semiconductor industry, both in terms of the equipment available but also the extensive experience of the engineers who worked there. However, NanoScope has been successful in acquiring much of the FA capability of the Unisem facility and we are now in the process of transferring this equipment over to our Bristol Laboratory. We plan to offer Dual-acid decapsulation from early February 2014, with even shorter turnaround times than previously, with other techniques to follow. For more information please contact Lloyd Peto at NanoScope on 07768 172049 Or email...
Recent Comments