IR pulse thermography as failure analytical tool applied to die attach processes

New die attach technologies are necessary to meet the demand for faster and more reliable power electronic devices. Technologies based on sintering such as silver sintering and silver sinter adhesives are currently in the focus of technology development because of their high strength and very high thermal performance. To ensure the reliability of such a die attach reliable, fast and non-destructive failure analysis (FA) are needed. Transient thermal methods (TTM) provide techniques for detection of different types of defects such as delaminations of interfaces, cracks, electrical short circuits and voids in die attach layer [1]-[3]. In this work, pulse thermography (PT), one of the TTMs, was successfully used for nondestructive testing of the die attach layers under industrial conditions. We have studied the physical principles and presented fundamental possibilities and limitations given by formulas, nomograms and parameter sensitivity studies. Finally, we demonstrate the PT as accompanying FA to process qualification of a sintered silver adhesive process.