Metrology and analysis

Which technique locates faults by detecting tiny heat generation in a powered chip with high sensitivity, periodically modulating the applied power and accumulating synchronized thermal images?

  1. ALock-in thermography
  2. BEllipsometry
  3. CSIMS
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Answer: A. Lock-in thermography

Lock-in thermography switches the voltage applied to the chip on and off at a fixed period and accumulates only the infrared thermal images synchronized with that period, detecting the location of very slight heating from shorts and the like. Because it can narrow down fault locations even from outside the package, it is used early in failure analysis.

  • A. Correct. Synchronized thermal images detect tiny heating.
  • B. Ellipsometry measures film thickness.
  • C. SIMS profiles elements in depth.
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  1. Which method sends fast pulses into package or board wiring and determines the location of opens or shorts from the reflected waveforms?
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