Metrology and analysis

Which correctly describes observing a cross-section in detail after breaking or milling the wafer?

  1. AOnly surface contamination can be seen
  2. BIt is destructive, so the observed wafer or chip cannot be used as product
  3. CThe product can be shipped as is
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Answer: B. It is destructive, so the observed wafer or chip cannot be used as product

Cross-sectional SEM or TEM observation breaks the wafer or mills it with FIB, so the observed area can no longer be used as product (destructive analysis). Samples are therefore pulled from production wafers or dedicated evaluation wafers are used.

  • A. Cross-sectional structure can be examined in detail.
  • B. Correct. It is destructive and cannot become product.
  • C. Broken or milled wafers cannot be shipped.
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More Metrology and analysis questions

  1. Which pair correctly names a measuring instrument's property of "small spread when measuring the same thing repeatedly" and that of "measured values being close to the true value"?
  2. Which spectroscopic method is often used to evaluate stress (strain) in silicon locally and non-destructively?
  3. Which method is used to observe solder joint voids and wire shapes inside a package in three dimensions without destroying it?
  4. Which tool is widely used to find delamination at interfaces inside a package, such as between molding compound and chip, non-destructively?
  5. Which method evaluates the quality of compound semiconductor wafers and epi layers without contact by shining laser light and measuring the spectrum and intensity distribution of the emitted light?