Dr. Morris Chang is not my hero. He might be the most important person in the semiconductor industry in our lifetime, but he is not my hero. I have nothing against him. I’ve never met him and probably will never will. Instead, I meet my heroes usually after tape-out, when ...
Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a non-destructive imaging technique widely used in semiconductor failure analysis to inspect structures and interfaces hidden inside IC packages. Unlike optical microscopy, which relies on visible light, or X-ray inspection, which relies primarily on differences in material density and X-ray absorption, SAM uses high-frequency acoustic waves. This ...
What is a Circuit Edit?
A circuit edit is when you need to modify an existing ASIC or integrated circuit for whatever reason. This is usually done with the help of an ion beam that is focused onto the chip to modify it as per the request of the designer. Engineers ...
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is one of the highest-resolution physical-analysis techniques used in semiconductor failure analysis. It allows failure analysts to examine extremely small structural and material anomalies that may be impossible to characterize using optical microscopy or conventional SEM alone.
TEM works by transmitting a high-energy electron beam through an ...
When an integrated circuit fails, one of the first questions is: How is the device failing electrically?
A chip may exhibit excessive leakage current, a short circuit, an open connection, abnormal supply current, a parametric shift or a complete functional failure. Before engineers physically cut into the device, they usually want to ...
Emission Microscopy (EMMI) is an optical fault-localization technique used in semiconductor failure analysis to identify electrically active defects inside integrated circuits. Instead of physically opening individual circuit structures and searching for damage, emission microscopy detects extremely weak light generated while a semiconductor device is electrically operating or biased.
Abnormal photon emission ...
Imagine a world where data moves at the speed of light—literally. Silicon photonics makes this possible, merging optics with the familiar silicon used in traditional electronics.
This advanced technology, originating from the 1980s, stands today as a pivotal innovation in microelectronics. It offers faster data transfer rates and lower power consumption ...
Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz about silicon photonics in the data center industry. What’s it all about? The ever-expanding digital universe is being driven by cloud computing, mobile data, video streaming, and Internet-of-Things (IoT). Today, it’s estimated that by end of 2016, more than 6 zettabytes (i.e., the ...
Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology is one of the most versatile tools used in semiconductor failure analysis and microelectronics characterization. A FIB system directs a tightly focused beam of ions onto a sample. By controlling the beam current, energy, position and scanning pattern, engineers can remove material from extremely specific locations, ...
Integrated circuits can fail for many different reasons. Some failures originate inside the semiconductor die, while others result from packaging, manufacturing, assembly, electrical overstress or the environment in which the device operates. Common IC failure mechanisms include electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical overstress (EOS), electromigration, dielectric breakdown, interconnect defects, corrosion, contamination, thermal ...
