In the semiconductor and electronics industry, thorough failure analysis is a vital tool for the development of new products and the improvement of existing ones. X-FAB puts a lot of emphasis on systematically and speedily determining the cause of failure, collecting and analyzing data, and developing conclusions to eliminate the failure mechanism - in a constant endeavor to deliver reliable, best-quality products that fully satisfy its customers' expectations.
X-FAB's Failure Analysis encompasses all the stages of the product development and manufacturing process. It provides safe and fast root cause identification for:
- Fab-process issues
- Process Control Monitor (PCM) issues
- Failed devices
- Low yield issues
and supports qualification for:
- New processes
- New materials
- New tools
- Tool extension.
X-FAB's Failure Analysis Tool Set
As our customers have the best experience and knowledge of their own ASICs, it is recommended to provide a proper prelocalisation. If this is not possible, X-FAB can provide the required support through external partners.
X-FAB's Failure Analysis relies on the know-how and skills of its highly qualified personnel, as well as on the analyzing power of its sophisticated equipment. Analysis methods include:
- Electrical localization (*)
- Cross sectioning
- Grinding
- Package opening
- Layer removal
- Backside polisher / Frontside polisher
- Micro cleaving
- Sputter coating
- Spreading resistance (*)
- Direct current capacitance-to-voltage (DC/CV) analysis
- Bitmap scrambling
- Voltage contrast
- Optical microscopy
- Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
- Optical Beam Induced Resistivity Change (OBIRCH) (*)
- Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) (*)
- Emission Microscopy (EMMI) (*)
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) / Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) / Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) (*)
- Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) / X-ray Fluorenscence spectroscopy (IXRF) (*)
- Electron beam (*)
- Liquid Crystal Analysis (LCA) probe (*)
(*) Support by external contractors
