Failure analysis in the integrated fabless manufacturer (IFM) environment

Failure analysis tools and techniques have been evolving since engineers first took electronic components apart to see why they failed. First, using existing tools like optical microscopes, electrical test bench instruments and the machine shop to electrically and physically peer inside failed parts, failure analysts developed new methods, and later new tools to look inside electronic components and see physical structures and electrical signals. At the same time, the role failure analysis plays in the design and development cycle of systems and has expanded well beyond the original focus of quality and reliability.