Applications of infrared microscopy for bond pad damage detection

The authors quantitatively compare three techniques for their utility in detecting bond pad structural cracking phenomena: wire pull, metal removal, and IR microscopy. The IR microscope (IRM) method was found, statistically and practically, to provide the most information about damage to the aluminum bonding pad and its underlying layers. This study was undertaken with three goals in mind: to identify the types of damage distinguished by the IRM, to demonstrate the utility of using an IRM to characterize bond damage, and to compare IRM performance with existing techniques. Only IRM examination of single level devices is covered. The authors describe the IRM technique and the procedures for the IRM sample preparation and examination. They employ these procedures to quantitatively compare IRM to mechanical wire pull and metal removal for bond pad damage detection.<>