proc. ECS 2011

proc. ESC 2011

Plasma etching for failure analysis of integrated circuit packages

J. Tang, J.B.J. Schelen, and C.I.M. Beenakker
China Semiconductor Technology International Conference (CSTIC 2011)

This work is done in collaboration with NXP Semiconductors.

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Abstract:

Plastic integrated circuit packages with copper wire bonds are decapsulated by a Microwave Induced Plasma system. Improvements on microwave coupling of the system are achieved by frequency tuning and antenna modification. Plasmas with a mixture of O2 and CF4 showed a high etching rate around 2 mm3/min. The role of O2 and CF4 in etching molding compound is described. Plastic package with 38 um Cu bond wires and a 2 mm * 3.5 mm die inside is fully decapsulated in 20 minutes. Cu wires remain undamaged after decapsulation proving the efficiency of this method.

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