The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act includes $52 billion in subsidies for domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing. This guest editorial describes the program's scope and potential impact on the microelectronics industry.

Advanced 10 nm device delayering is a critical process for verifying and validating the circuit design layout and extracting the structures buried inside the chip. The work featured in this article takes advantage of chemically assisted focused ion beam processing with ultraviolet spectroscopy to destructively delayer integrated circuits starting from the shallow trench isolation layer, enabling high-resolution SEM imaging at each layer.

Low-frequency noise spectroscopy is a promising characterization technique for nanoscale devices and failure analysis investigations. This article describes and shows how low-frequency noise spectroscopy can be applied to identify stable traps induced by proton irradiations on silicon passive devices. The work focuses on traps located in the depleted region of the semiconductor material of already studied nanoscale transistor technologies.

Quantum diamond microscopy is an innovative nondestructive tool. This article describes detailed operations from a failure analyst's perspective, showing how the technique integrates into standard workflows. Case histories are included comparing its performance to established FA methods and highlighting QDM's specific advantages.

Scanning TEM electron beam-induced current (STEM EBIC) imaging is a promising technique for providing high-resolution electronic and thermal contrast as a complement to TEM’s physical contrast. This article presents recent progress in using the focused ion beam (FIB) to prepare thin, electrically contacted cross-section samples for STEM EBIC imaging and in situ biasing. Techniques involving both standard Ga+ FIB and Xe+ plasma FIB (PFIB) are described.

This article shows how 3D XRM can be applied to nondestructively detect non-optimized assembly processes that can influence local stresses and overall device reliability. This makes it useful for process development and failure analysis. When used along with AI training models, 3D XRM can achieve analysis of highly integrated packaging structures with reasonable throughput for process validation and error correction guidance.

Xenon plasma focused ion beam specimen preparation is ideal for preparing plan view TEM specimens due to its large-volume-milling capabilities. This article describes concentrated Ar ion beam milling using low energy as a post-pFIB final thinning step of plan view TEM specimens from a phase change memory device. Precise control of specimen thinning is achieved, which results in high-quality specimens with pristine surfaces and a large field of view for TEM characterization.

The International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA) is the premier event for scientists and engineers who work to evaluate failures and improve the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices and processing techniques. This editorial is a look back at ISTFA over the years from the first gathering in 1975. It includes a table listing the ISTFA general chairs for each annual symposium.

Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) is a spatially resolved electron diffraction technique that records the electron scattering distribution at each point of the electron beam raster, thereby producing a four-dimensional dataset. The final article in this series covers ptychography, a form of computational imaging that recovers the phase information imparted to an electron beam as it interacts with a specimen.

The electronic device failure analysis community will be instrumental in successfully guiding the industry's transformation in reponse to demand for artificial intelligence capabilities. This editorial outlines the challenge and how the FA community can help address growing needs in this technical area.

This guest column outlines pilot programs and activities undertaken by the Electronic Device Failure Analysis Society to engage students and young professionals.

A deep learning-based nondestructive approach for void segmentation in BGA solder balls using 3D x-ray microscopy is presented.

This article describes a proposed novel metric to furnish chip designers with a prognostic tool for x-ray imaging in the pre-silicon stage. This metric is fashioned to provide designers with a concrete measure of how visible the fine-pitched features of their designs are under x-ray inspection. It utilizes a combination of x-ray image data collection, analysis, and simulations to evaluate different design elements.

A numerical investigation of the probabilistic approach in estimating the reliability of wire bonding is presented along with a reliability based design optimization methodology for microelectronic devices structures.

The goals of the workshop were twofold: Give NIST researchers an industry perspective and evaluate the CHIPS Act Metrology R&D program industry relevance to plan to future projects. This guest editorial provides a brief overview of the February 2024 workshop and its outcomes.

The influence of electric current flow and electrically induced Joule heat on thermal stress for weld joint cracks at both interfaces is still not fully comprehended. This article investigates the effect of subjecting the ball grid array package to a cyclic current input. Current density, Joule effect, and temperature curves are examined.

Differential laser voltage probe simultaneously acquires waveform data from a single target while the device under test fluctuates between passing and failing test outcomes. This article describes the use of this technique and how it could be affected by trends in the microelectronics industry.

This article proposes the MicroStructural Hierarchy Descriptor (µSHD) as a systematic and quantitative approach to spectra and image data in microelectronics failure analysis. It discusses concrete routes for employing µSHD directly as the quantitative descriptor for supervised and unsupervised machine learning. The authors propose that µSHD tools can be used to automate and improve characterization techniques and image processing and analysis protocols.

This article presents the principles of scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) instruments and their potential uses for the local thermal analysis of passive and active electronic components and devices. Three examples are given that demonstrate the SThM’s ability to perform thermal analysis on a microscopic scale. The results suggest that SThM could be used as a powerful tool for analyzing printed circuit boards and electronic devices with high spatial resolution, during the development cycle, failure analysis during and after manufacture, and during operation.

The second Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI 2.0), sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), is focused on driving next generation dual use microelectronics for national security and domestic needs. The initiative focuses on creating U.S. capability for three-dimensional heterogeneous integration (3DHI) manufacturing and pursuing focused research for the manufacture of complex 3D microsystems. This guest editorial describes the outcomes from a three-day summit (Seattle, Washington, August 2023) where the initiative was launched.