Fracture risk assessment of laser marked die by means of simulation and test

The method of laser marking die for the purpose tracking and identification is well established in the semiconductor industry. This process needs to be well controlled in order to avoid sacrificing the fracture strength of the die. A common way to assess and compare different laser marking processes is to conduct a series of fracture tests and calculate the characteristic strength that can be expected for a certain laser marking process window. This paper presents and discusses a new methodology that allows obtaining stress concentration results by measuring, simulating and testing laser marked die in great detail. It can be used to compare and rate different laser marking processes. The approach therefore has good potentials of saving money and time by reducing the amount of fracture test studies in the future.