Development of magnetic current imaging for the failure analysis of 3D package technology

Abstract

“More than Moore” trend has triggered the development of three-dimensional (3D) technologies which are important in terms of their reliability and performance. However, the introduction of these new technologies presents new challenges in fault isolation and failure analysis of short circuits, open circuits or intermittent failures. Magnetic current imaging (MCI) and 3D X-Ray computed tomography (CT) are some of the more advanced and non-destructive techniques which may be able to overcome the challenges.

In the first study, a leakage current path flow was determined by MCI and a new simulation approach on a 3D stacked complex chip. A second study was related to the determination of distances between very close current lines lying on the same x-y plane by the spatial Fourier analysis approach. In another investigation, 3D X-Ray CT was interfaced with MCI and the simulation approach to locate the 3D current path in a self-built 3D stacked PCB.