Semiconductor Failure Analysis

Scope

Semiconductor failure analysis covers the investigation of failed or non-conforming semiconductor devices and integrated circuits using a combination of electrical, non-destructive, and destructive techniques applied in a structured sequence. The scope spans from initial electrical verification through to physical root cause identification.

The methodology typically includes:

• Electrical characterization and verification – confirming the failure and classifying the failure mode (open, short, leakage, functional, parametric) using curve tracing and parametric/functional test
• Fault isolation – localizing the defect using techniques such as emission microscopy (EMMI), thermal emission (lock-in thermography), OBIRCH, and laser stimulation methods
• Non-destructive imaging – X-ray and scanning acoustic microscopy (C-SAM) to detect package-level defects such as voids, delamination, cracks, and wire-bond issues
• Package and die access – decapsulation (chemical or laser) to expose the die without damaging it, and backside sample preparation where needed
• Physical analysis and deprocessing – layer-by-layer deprocessing, cross-sectioning, FIB (focused ion beam) site-specific work, and high-resolution SEM/TEM imaging
• Materials and elemental analysis – EDS, SIMS, and other analytical techniques to identify contamination, composition, and material-related defects at the failure site

Applications

• Yield improvement – investigating failures from wafer-level and final test to identify systematic defects and feed corrective actions back into the fabrication process
• Reliability qualification – analyzing devices that fail during accelerated life testing, burn-in, or stress qualification to determine the failure mechanism and assess reliability risk
• Customer return and field failure investigation – determining the root cause of devices that failed in customer assemblies or in the field, supporting corrective action and customer response
• Construction analysis and benchmarking – deprocessing devices to document their construction, technology node, and design features for competitive or qualification purposes
• ESD and EOS failure investigation – characterizing electrostatic discharge and electrical overstress damage in devices and distinguishing between the two failure mechanisms
• Counterfeit detection – examining suspect devices through external inspection, X-ray, decapsulation, and die analysis to confirm or refute authenticity
• New product development support – analyzing test failures during product bring-up and qualification to resolve design and process issues before volume production

Benefits

• Structured methodology preserves evidence – progressing from non-destructive to destructive techniques ensures the failure evidence is documented and localized before any irreversible physical analysis, maximizing the chance of a definitive root cause
• Fault isolation makes analysis tractable – localizing the defect before physical analysis is what makes FA practical at modern device scales, narrowing the search from billions of features to a specific site
• Identifies the mechanism, not just the symptom – proper FA determines why the device failed (e.g., electromigration, dielectric breakdown, contamination, ESD), which is what enables genuine corrective action
• Drives yield and reliability improvement – feeding root cause findings back into design and process is one of the most effective ways to improve yield and reduce field failures
• Broad technique set covers all failure modes – combining electrical, optical, thermal, imaging, and materials-analysis techniques means the analysis can address electrical, package, die, and material failures within a single coordinated investigation