FIB Enhancement OF Mechanically Polished Cross-sections
FIB Enhancement OF Mechanically Polished Cross-sections
Tuesday, November 12, 2019: 4:35 PM
F 150/151 (Oregon Convention Center)
Summary:
Mechanically polished cross-sections of semiconductor packages are a common occurrence [1] in the industry and can usually provide the detail needed for inspections of various process parameters and/or failure mechanisms. But sometimes one needs a better surface for inspection than even ion milling or wet etching can give. This poster presents a method of FIB surface clean up of samples that at first glance seem to be too thick to be approached with standard FIB methods. This method will remove material smear and give flat surface to the section face. This enables the analyst to reveal cracks, delaminations, and voids that might be obscured by smeared material or polishing debris. This method can also clean up the curtaining (striating, waterfall, veiling, etc.) that occurs when FIB cross-sectioning into ICs containing tungsten vias or contacts.
Mechanically polished cross-sections of semiconductor packages are a common occurrence [1] in the industry and can usually provide the detail needed for inspections of various process parameters and/or failure mechanisms. But sometimes one needs a better surface for inspection than even ion milling or wet etching can give. This poster presents a method of FIB surface clean up of samples that at first glance seem to be too thick to be approached with standard FIB methods. This method will remove material smear and give flat surface to the section face. This enables the analyst to reveal cracks, delaminations, and voids that might be obscured by smeared material or polishing debris. This method can also clean up the curtaining (striating, waterfall, veiling, etc.) that occurs when FIB cross-sectioning into ICs containing tungsten vias or contacts.