Abstract
Methodology remains an underdeveloped segment of the semiconductor Failure Analysis discipline. This paper describes a general formulation of scientific method for semiconductor Failure Analysis. The formulation creates a rigorous, customized analysis flow that flags both poorly-understood cause-effect relationships and missing techniques. It eases the application of basic inferential logic to the resulting analysis process, helping reduce errors in the analysis thought process. Finally, the methodology provides a uniform nomenclature and representation of the analysis process that lets the analyst describe complex flows in a simple and informative way. This general material has been presented by SDG Analytic, Inc. (now Metatech Corporation) in a public training course called “Precision Failure Analysis Logic.”
