This presentation covers the basic physics needed to understand and to effectively apply backside IC analysis techniques to flip-chip packaged die. It describes the principles of light transmission through silicon and the factors that influence optical image formation from the backside of the wafer or die. It also provides information on the tools and techniques used to expose surfaces, regions, and features of interest for analysis. It describes the steps involved in CNC milling, mechanical grinding and polishing, reactive ion etching (RIE), laser microchemical (LMC) etching, and milling and etching by focused ion beam (FIB). It explains where and how each technique is used and quantifies the capabilities of different combinations of methods.

This presentation covers the basic physics needed to effectively apply backside IC analysis techniques to flip-chip packaged die. It describes the principles of light transmission through silicon and the factors that influence optical image formation from the backside of the wafer or die. It also provides information on the tools and techniques used to expose surfaces, regions, and features of interest for analysis. It describes the steps involved in CNC milling, mechanical grinding and polishing, reactive ion etching (RIE), laser microchemical (LMC) etching, and milling and etching by focused ion beam (FIB). It explains where and how each technique is used and quantifies the capabilities of different combinations of methods.

A new imaging technique called Wavefront Coding allows real-time imaging of three-dimensional structures over a very large depth. Wavefront Coding systems combine aspheric optics and signal processing to achieve depth of fields ten or more times greater than that possible with traditional imaging systems. Understanding the relationships between traditional and modern imaging system design through Wavefront Coding is very challenging. In high performance imaging systems nearly all aspects of the system that could reduce image quality are carefully controlled. Modifying the optics and using signal processing can increase the amount of image information that can be recorded by microscopes. For a number of applications this increase in information can allow a single image to be used where a number of images taken at different object planes had been used before. Having very large depth of field and real-time imaging capability means that very deep structures such as surface micromachined MEMS can be clearly imaged with one image, greatly simplifying defect and failure analysis.

The device physics necessary to gain theoretical insight into the relationship between the bias conditions and the associated electric field for semiconductor structures in various failure conditions such as forward and reverse biased junctions, MOSFET saturation, latchup, and gate oxide breakdown are examined. The relationships are verified by light emission spectra collected from test samples under various bias conditions. Several examples are included that demonstrate the utility and limitations of spectral analysis techniques for defect identification and the associated, non-electric field related information contained in the spectra.