Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank Infineon Technologies for giving me a
chance for my industrial. I was assigned to Quality Managements Failure Analysis 4
(IFMY QM FA 4). During the training period, I have gained a lot of extra knowledge
beyond the lecturers in the university. Besides that, I learnt a lot of electrical and
electronic knowledge in this company. I believe all these experience will help me to
adapt to different type of working environment in the future.
Hereby, I would like to thank my supervisor Mr Edison Jayganth for assisting me
and sharing the working experience with me. Furthermore, he taught me a lot of
soft skill and technical hands on. I learnt to organize things well and have a good
time management under his supervision. He is very busy with the urgent cases but
he still find time to give me some task so that I have chances to learn more.
Nevertheless, a special thanks to Ms Chiang Shu Fang who gave me a lot of concern
during work. She taught me how to use the Infineon Technologies iFact system and
the theory of machines. I also thank to her effort in arranging safety training. Even
though she is busy with her work, she still guided and helped me when I am still
new to the machine operation and the failure analysis.
I am taking this chance to personally thank to the leader of FA 4, Mr Chong Hock
Heng. He trusts me and assigned me for some urgent and important cases,
allowing me to work like a real engineer. Also, thank to him for spending his time
explain the causes of the failure device and the ways to solve the problem.
Last but not least, I would like to thanks all the engineers and technicians who
willing to share their knowledge, gave me machine training and help me in my work
during the training period.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Organization Background and Structure

Company Background and History..............................................................4 - 5
Company Structure and Organization Chart.................................................6 - 7

Chapter 2: Summary of Duties/ Work experience

HRLD Briefing...............................................................................................8
Failure Analysis Briefing.................................................................................8
Whisker Monitoring and Whisker Qualification Briefing .......................................8
Machines Training ........................................................................................9
Theory Trainings ..........................................................................................9
Discussion with Requeter ..............................................................................9
Lecturer Visiting and Presentation ..................................................................9

Chapter 3: Achievements and Results

Failure Analysis...........................................................................................10
Defects...............................................................................................10 - 11
Low and High Power Scope...........................................................................11
Image Capturing System.......................................................................11 - 12
Dye Penetration..........................................................................................12
Scanning Acoustic Microscope................................................................12 - 13
Microsectioning....................................................................................13 - 14
Grinding and Polishing.................................................................................14
Decapsulation.............................................................................................14
Chemical.............................................................................................14 - 15
Laser.........................................................................................................15
Scanning Electron Microscope.......................................................................16
Field Emission Scannig Electron Microcope......................................................17
Sputter Coater.....................................................................................17 - 18
Energy Disperse X-ray..........................................................................18 19
4

X-ray..................................................................................................19 - 20
Liquid Crystal Thermograph ..................................................................20 - 21
Die Probing..........................................................................................21
Curve Tracer...............................................................................................21
Bake Treatment and Sample Storing..............................................................21
Safety Training....................................................................................22 23
Skills Gained .............................................................................................25
Company Safety Policy.................................................................................24
General Safety Policy............................................................................24 - 25
FA Safety Policy .........................................................................................25

Chapter 4: Conclusion .............................................................................26

References...............................................................................................27

Appendix...........................................................................................28 - 31

Chapter 1: Organization Background and Structure

Name

: Infineon Technologies( Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

Address

: Free Trade
Batu Berendam
75350 Melaka

Telephone Number

: +606 2325266

Fax Number

: +606 2321539

Website

: www.infineon.com

Company background and history

INFINEON is a fictional name that stem from the combination of 2 words infinity
and eon. The name bears with it all the association one would expect from a hightech microelectronic company: endurance, reliability, dynamics and improvement
drive. The name is futuristic and has an expansive, far-reaching ring to it. Similar to
a name, a log is vital in communication a companys identity. The Infineon swoop:
embodies

dynamic,

future-oriented

company openness

and their

desire

to

constantly move forward. Dark blue represents their deep engineering and
technological base reinforcement. Red in colour represents the swoop to highlight
the warmer, more human elements of their technological expertise. Infineon
Technologies Malaysia is one of the shareholders of Infineon Technologies AG,
Neubiber, Germany.
It was formerly known as Siemes Melaka. It started as Siemes Components in
1973 at UMNO Building, Jalan Hang Tuah, Melaka. The company started its
operation with 50 employees and produce transistor mainly used in amplifiers and
receives. The company is then constantly expand its manufacturing facilities by
adding new product line and investing in state-of-the-art technologies to futfill its
customers demand.

In 1974 Siemens Melaka shifted to Free Trade Zone Batu Berendam. The company
name was changed to Siemens Components (Advanced Technologies) Sdn. Bhd in
1981 and Infineon Technologies (Integrated Circuits) Sdn Bhd in 1989. On third of
may in 1999, the name was changed again to Infineon Technologies until now. On
the 13th March 2000, the compony succeeded to be listed in New York Stock
Exchange. Now, Infineon has carved its name in the world by obtaining the 10 th
largest semiconductor company.
At present, the company manufactures semiconductor and provides system
solutions for automotive, industrial and multimarket sectors for applications in
communication with a total workforce of approximate 7,000 people. Discrete
Semicondctors, Power semiconductors, Logic products and Sensor products are four
main products from Infineon. The products from Infineon are able to stand out for
their reliability, excellence quality and their innovative.
The mottos of Infineon are Never stop Thinking, Win Together, Strive for Excellence
in People and Leadership and Act Entrepreneurially for the Sake of Customers.
The vision of Infineon Technologies is to shape microelectronics by creating
innovative products, leading edge solutions and services for the better benefits of
their customer and shareholders.
The mission of Infineon is to create manufacture and market the industrys most
advanced microelectronics products. They create and maximize value for their
customers, shareholders and employees. They built upon out of technological
strength to offer our customer a wide range of leading edge solution emphasizing
communication, computer, chip card and the automotive applications. They attract
the best talent worldwide and translated advanced technologies into value for their
customer and shareholders. Infineon Technologies motto is We Never Stop
Thinking.

1.2 Company Organization Chart

Figure 1: Organization chart of Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

Company organization chart

Figure 1 is the organization chart of Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. The
company can be divided into three main part, finanace and business administration,
production team and support function team. Each part has its own section with
different functionality and responsibility. Power Segment, Advance Logic, Discrete
Segment and Sensor Segment are four production team. The rest such as Product
planning, quality management, TQM & Communications, plant facilities, plant
security, human resource, information technologies, logistics, purchasing, and
safety helath & environment make the support fuction team.

Figure 2: Organization chart of IFMY QM Quality Management

Quality Management Organization chart

Figure 2 shows that there are seven different group in the IFMY QM Quality
Management and four different group under the Failure Analysis Operation
Team.The first group will support on the product FAR whereas second group will
focus on the customer FAR. Group 1 usually solve the production low yield or
problematic lots. They also support for development group analysis request and
support on Reliability failure from product monitoring. Group 2 will handle the
customer FAR request, all special request from FAR team and 8D investigation
team. Third group is the qualification and construction analysis team. People for
group 3 support for backend qualification or evaluation from manufacturing group.
Routine package construction analysis and Internal Physical Inspection support are
all done by group 3. Group 4 provides analytical services and sample preparation
services. Besides that, FA O 4 team will work together with FA and development
group to provide new techniques or jigs for FA capabilities enhancement.

Chapter 2: Summary of Duties & Work Experience

HRLD Briefing
On the first day of industrial turning, I reported at Human Human Resources
Learning & Development (HRLD). The staff from HRLD inform us about Infineon
Technologies details and policy, lunch hour break, allowance formula andworking
time. The staff nametage and car sticker can be obtained from the Security
Department ID Room

Failure analysis briefing

After the HRLD briefing, my superviser briefed me about the organization in
Infineon and the Quality Management department. IFMY QM FA 4 represents
Infineon Malaysia Quality Management Failure Analysis Group 4 will support on the
analytical services. The design of the products from Infineon were studied from the
documents. Two different types of analysis, destructive and non destructive was
updated by my superviser. I was then brought to the FA lab for a tour. There are
many types of equipments in the lab. My superviser briefly explain the principle and
application of each machine. Ifact sytem was introduced to me during the first week
of the internship.

Whisker Monitoring and Whisker Qualification (Infineons Project) briefing

The information of whisker were updated by my superviser. Whisker monitoring is
an ongoing project for Infineon. The cycle time for the analysis and the report
compilation is one week time. Different type of products will be tested with different
stress condition. After that, FA team will check for the presence of whisker. The
analysis can be done by high power scope. We are required to prepared a report
after the inspection. It will then review by my superviser before releasing the
report.

Machines Training
Each machines in the lab is handled by an engineer from the FA team. At first, the
working principle and the operation of each machine were trained by my superviser.
However, we are still required to undergo an official training from the machine
owner. After we have prove to them that we are able to handle the machine
independently without any mistake, then we will have the permission to use the
machine for failure analysis.

Theory Trainings
Electrostatic discharge training, chemical safety training, laser safety training and
radiation training were arraged by superviser throughout the whole industrial
training. For some machines such as laser and x-ray, an official training from the
machine owner is insufficient. A safety training given by the HRLD department is
compulsory to permit the machine usage.

We have to undergo chemical safety

training before we can enter the chemical lab and perform chemical analysis.

Discussion with requester

During the FA requisition submission, al the device information and background will
be provided in a form. Discussion with the requestor is then take place in order for
me to analyze and identify the root cause more effectively. Sometimes, the
requestor contact me for more information about the analysis.

Lecturer Visiting and Presentation

The date and time for the visiting were discussed. Meeting room and parking lot
were booked after all the arrangement. Presentation was prepared by me and
another trainee, Hud Amirul from electrical and electronic engineering department.
Then, both superviser and lecturer discussed about our working performance.

Chapter 3: Achievement & Resutls

Failure Anlaysis
Devices that do not conform to its expected requirements are known as failure.
Failure analysis team serve to identify the cause of the failure. The failure devices
will be examined through various method. At first, the device information and
background will be provided by the requestor in a requisition form and the parts
submitted has to be protect by ESD damage. The Infineon Ifact (Infineon Failure
Analysis Collaboration Tool) system will register the device as they are received and
assign a identification number for the analysis. A review of the data and history is a
conscious step to prevent waste of effort, time lost and most importantly loses of
failure evidence. Request from customer FAR which has the higher priority has a
two days of cycle time. The cycle time for overall FAR is targeted to be roughly five
days. The analysis process can be categorized into two different types, destructive
test and non destructive test. Examples of non destructive test are external visual
inspection, SAM, X-ray, bake treatment and curve tracer while the destructive test
include SEM, elemental analysis, internal inspection, dye penetration test and
sample preparation. After the analysis is completed, the result will be sent to the
requestor using the Ifact system. Conclusion must be formulated before publishing
the results. All kinds of treatments such as desoldering of failures from PCB, tested
or verified failures using production testers done by the FAR Engineers must be
reported.The final stage will be the report compiling.

Defects
The example of the defects include edge chipping, loopoing problem, necking, ball
bond lifting, broken wire, die attach void, foreign material shorting across the pin.
Cratering defect is the silicon damage under the bond pad. Contamination are
usually happened during the production process or human error. Delamination or air
gap can be caused by two materials with different coefficient of thermal expansion,
moisture and mechanical and the effect of expand and contract leading to stress.
Die scracting and broken die are due to mechanically damaged. It may cause

electrica failure and corrosion. Whisker, a needle like crystalline structures of tin
that form and grow on surfaces can also be counted as one of defects.

Low Power Scope/ High Power Scope

They are 2 types of microscopes, low power scope and high power scope. They are
used for external visual inspection to clarify any package external defect. For
instance, crack, contamination, discolouration, shorted lead, bent lead, gap and
voids. All the microscopes are equipped with different type of observation methods,
including Bright field, Dark field, polarized light and fluorescence microscopy.
Bright field is normal illumination mode and the picture obtained is the result of
differences in reflection due to the material properties of the sample, transmission
and reflection through surface films. Dark field is designed for detecting particles
and scratches as inner circle portion of the light are blocked. Florescence
microscopy uses the physical property of mercury light source wave length.
Therefore it glows up the fluorescence dye on the sample for identification of
moisture penetration path of the sample. Image processing function is important in
order to provide a true colour and monochrome image. Fuction such as low pass,
sharpen, brightness and separator in the system can be used to enhance the
quality of the result. The filter function help to reduce noise and improve contrast
for better analysis.

Image Capturing System

Multiple Image Alignment, MIA and Extended Focus Imaging, EFI are 2 different
types image capturing system. MIA will automatically create a montage of a set of
individual images into a composite image. It is useful if an image of an object
require a higher magnification but the camera can only provide certain part of the
object at the required resolution. In addition, some sample might have different
depth of focus. EFI helps to overcome the physical limitations of a microscope
regarding its different level and surfaces. A number of images with different focus
setting combined into a single focused image in EFI. The overlapping point is the
important criteria in both MIA and EFI to ensure there is no misalignment in the
4

final image. Rainbow colour is occasionally observed due to the reflection of

different depth and thickness of the imide layer.

Dye penetration
Delamination is one of the common defects in the semiconductor.

Ultrasonic

microscopy, SAM or SAT and micro sectioning followed by visual inspection followed
by visual inspection are ways to detect the delamination. Dye penetration is one of
the way to revealing this defect, it is done by using the liquid-fluorescent penetrant
dye. It is a mixture of low viscosity and anaerobic liquid penetrant (Resinol),
fluorescent powder (Yellow Dye G) as well as anaerobic accelerator. The sample will
be pressurized in the chamber for few hours after immersed in the fluorescent dye.
This is done to ensure the dye will seep into the moisture path of the device
package. Next, the sample will proceed to bake treatment for curing of the
fluorescent dye and then follow by microsectioning. Defects of the sample can be
studied and inspected under UV microscope by increase the brightness to the
maximum and adjusting the exposure time to 2 or higher.

Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM)

A ultrasonic/acoustic waves is a wave with ultrahigh frequency, in excess of 20 kHz
that are not audible by human ear. Acoustic wave requires a medium to perform
propagation. It is an elastic disturbance that propagates through solid and liquid
but not air or vacuum. Resin & metal allow the wave to penetrate.
There are four different type of scanning method in SAM. Firstly, the A scan which
obtain the acoustic data at a single xy position. B scan will scan the sample along
xz plane and C scan focus image of an xy plane at a depth z.The thru scan enable
us to investigate the entire thickness of the devices through transmission image.
The transducer or detector unit consists of ultrasonic pulsor, receiver and detector.
The ultrasonic pulsor transmit acoustic waves by generating pulsed voltage and
impressed it on the ultrasonic sensors. Ultrasonic receiver helps to amplifies the

echoes or signal while the detector performs gate setting and measure the echo
height within the gate and time of flight.
SAM can be used to evaluate the die attach integrity, detection of voids in the
molding compound, delamination at the interfaces of two distinct layers as well as
the identification of cracks in the die/molding compound. In the SAM, images are
being generated through mechanically scanning a transducer in a raster pattern.
Acoustic lens assembly at frequencies between 10-230MHz will generate a focused
spot of ultrasound. Water will acts as a coupling medium and help to transmit the
ultrasound to the sample. Working frequency for SAM is 100MHz to 2GHz. The
resolution for SAM is in the range of light microscope and the limitation of
penetration depth of the acoustic wave is few microns, depending on the material
and the frequency used. The higher the frequency the smaller the spot size. By
selecting the colour maps to red,yellow,black and white, the delamination defect of
devices can be noticed easily.
When propagates through two distinct materials, the SAM wave will be subjected to
the strength of transmitted and reflected ultrasound at an interface which are
governed by the acoustic impedance of the materials on each side of the interface.
Acoustic impedance is the product of density and velocity of the ultrasound.

Micro sectioning
Micro sectioning is a process involves the cutting along or across the sample at one
plane of interest for inspection and analysis purpose. It falls under the destructive
test group. There are 2 types of encapsulants, demotec powder & liquid are used
for short curing time whereas epofix resin & hardener are used in long curing time.
Sample arrangement is essential in the micro sectioning process. The sample is first
placed on a flatten plasticene or sample clip. It is then enclose with sample mould.
Resin is prepared in the paper cup. The resin will be added into the sample mould
inside a impregnation vacuum chamber for slow cure resin. Nevertheless, the resin
is straight away pouring into the mould for fast cure resin. The pouring process is
carried out slowly in a vacuum condition in order to prevent the presence of air
bubbles which will affect the inspection or analysis later. The resin is left at one side
for hardening before taken out from the mould.
4

Grinding and Polishing

The platen, harden resin will undergo further processes, grinding and polishing.
Grit size of SiC paper is used for grinding and diamond compound of 3um, 1um,
and 0.25um are used for polishing. For sample grinding, it will start off with 400
grit size SiC paper. As the point of interest is approaching, a finer grit will replace
the rough grit Sic Paper. 1200 grit SiC paper is the final grit used for grinding. The
sample needs to be washed before polishing. For sample polishing, it will start off
with 3um for 5 to 10 min. It is then continuing with 1 um for 2 min. 0.25um is used
for final polishing for 1 min. The platen is cleaned with ultrasonic cleaner between
each polishing steps.
There are grinding machine and polishing machine serve for grinding and polishing
process respectively. Isomet cutter is used to cut the platen with 2 choices of
medium, water and oil. It helps to cut the platen and make the grinding process
easier. Impregnation vacuum chamber provide a vacuum condition and allow the
resin to be transferred from cup to the sample mould slowly.

Decapsulation
Both total decapsulation & window decapsulation are categorized under destructive
test. The process involves the removing of mould compound, the plastic material
that encapsulated the semiconductor chip and its connecting wires. Laser or fuming
nitric acid and sulphuric acid are methods to remove the mould compound.

Chemical
For chemical decapsulation, sample will be soldered onto a metal strip to hold the
device during decap process. The ratio of part fuming HNO 3 and H2SO4 are then
prepared. The metal strip is then immersed into a beaker containing the mixture at
70oC. DI water is used to wash the sample. Acetone helps to solidify the small
particle or the removed mould compound in the sample. The sample is then dry
with compressed N2 gas. The process will be repeated if the balance of compound
4

still found on the chip surface. Window decapsulation is a process making a shallow
opening on the top surface while the die is still sitting within the opening. The
sample is placed on top of a heated block surface. Fuming HNO 3 will be added drop
by drop until the interested area is fully exposed. However the next drop will only
be added after one or two second to ensure the acid reaction with the compound.
Furthermore, the cratering check, intermetallic check, die or ball bond lifting and
sample etching require different types of chemical and acid. All the process must be
done in fuming hood chamber with appropriate PPE such as eye mask, safety shoes
and gloves. Chemical use also applicable for imide remove, wire remove, die
remove as well as die pad remove.

Laser
For laser decapsulation, it is only applicable to remove certain type of sample; most
in combination with subsequent wet etch treatment, leads to novel application for
package preparation tasks. The process cannot be directly observed and the end
point can only be obtained by trial and error. The operative mechanism during
ablation of plastic packages with laser light is highly complexity as various
interaction of sample and laser light could happen. Multiple mechanisms such as
simple thermal heating, evaporation, pyrolysis and photolysis can be detected.
Mechanism in ablation means the inception of vigorous mechanical spalling of the
sample at the ablation threshold, followed by the physical ejection of the ablated
material. The laser type used in the lab is power line RSM, accompany by laser
medium Nd: YVO4, diodenpumped, and water/Air-WT as the cooling unit. The puls
frequency start from 5 kHZ to 80 kHz while the traverse speed range from
130mm/s to 250mm/s. Each panel will be penetrated with a fixed current but
different puls frequency and traverse speed. Combined decapsulation will only be
done if the package is high aspect ratio, small chip package and copper wire
package. Laser and chemical decap are used in the combined decapsulation.
Scanning Electron Microscope ( SEM )
Air-tight door is designed to ensure no leakage in the SEM. When the air is vented
from the SEM, an electron gun will emits a beam of large and high energy electrons

and travels downward. The magnetic lenses are used to focus the electrons to a
very fine spot in order to obtain a high magnification of hundred thousand times
and image of 4nm resolution. The scanning system will scan the beam over the
sample in a television type raster. A set of scanning coils are placed at the bottom
of the SEM to move the focused beam and forth across the specimen, row by row.
Secondary electrons are being released from its surface when the electron beam
hits each spot on the sample. The detector counts the electron and sends the
signals to the amplifier. The number of electrons from the sample is then converted
to final image.
The source used by SEM is normally tungsten or Lanthanum hexaboride LaB6.
Beam of electrons with 30 micron diameter are produced to obtain magnified
images. The size and shape can be obtained by scanning the surface of the sample
using beam, therefore SEM shows very detailed 3-dimensional images. However the
images created are rendered black and white due to the absence of light wave. The
probe current which also the penetration rate is normally set to be 10. The voltage
analysis for normal analysis is usually 15ekV whereas 5ekV for surface analysis.
The sample stage wil adjusted to below 30mm from the detector. The shorter the
walking distance, the better the quality of the images. Before unloading the sample,
the chamber must be vented and the stage must return to its original position.
Images will be focus at a magnification higher than the requirement to ensure a
good quality.
Sample or unit needs to undergo pre-treatment before entering the SEM in order to
withstand the vacuum condition and prevent charging effect. They must be made
conductive as the SEM illuminates them with electrons. For Biological specimens,
they need to be dried in a special way to prevent them from shrivelling. SEM
samples can be made conduct electricity by using sputter coater.

Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope ( FESEM )

The working principle for FESEM is similar to SEM. But, FESEM enables higher
magnification and higher resolution as compared to SEM. Primary electron beam of

1 um diameter are being produced from the electron source. The beam will then
scan across the sample and causes the release of secondary electrons. The
secondary electrons are collected to form a 3D image of the sample and the
images resolution is better than 1.5nm. The lower the scanning speed, the better
the quality of the images. The magnification of this machine ranging from few
hundred times to several hundred thousand times. The FESEM machine must
always in a highly vacuum condition as any leakage will cause the failure of the
machine. The loading and unloading is manually operated and must be handled
with care as the sample might drop to the bottom of the machine. The sample for
FESEM must also be conductive and have a good grounding. FESEM can be used to
observe the surface morphology of the device because the magnification is roughly
20,000x which can be easily reach by FESEM. At high magnification, the beam
alignment, x and y line setting is usually adjust for a better quality of result.

Sputter Coater
The process to deposit a thin film on the sample is named as sputtering. It is done
by applying a high voltage across a low pressure gas, Argon to create a plasma
condition which contains electrons and gas ions in a high energy state. Erosion
occurs when the material are bombarded with fast heavy particles. Energized
plasma ion hits the desired coating material which located at top and causes the
atoms with sufficient energy to transfer and bond with other material. The
sputtered atoms will then condense on the surface and coat the sample. The
sputtering process happens in the conditions of a gaseous glow discharge between
an Anode and Cathode. The electrons are emitted from the cathode whereas the
positive ions are produced from gas molecules due to secondary electron emission.
Sputter Coater can be improved by using a suitable gas and target material. The
sputtering process will increase the electrical conductivity of a specimen. The
common target materials are gold, gold-palladium, palladium, platinum, nickel or
silver. Argon is used due to its relatively high atomic weight, providing a suitable
source of ions for effective bombardment of target material. Nitrogen gas is another
choice for target material but excessive discharge times or higher plasma currents
are needed to obtain the same results as Argon gas.

The sputtered sample must not exposed to surrounding air for long as the air are
highly reactive ions and will cause the sample to oxidize. The coating thickness can
be measured from the equation d = KIVt. Sputter coater normally operates at 800V
DC. The HV voltage is applied between the cathode/ target and the base plate/
anode.
d=coating thickness in Angstrom
k = experimentally determined constant that based on the metal being
sputtered, the gas being used
I= plasma current in mA
V= applied voltage in kV
T = sputtering time in s

Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX)

EDX stands for Energy Dispersive X-ray. It is a method to identify the elements in a
sample, and applicable for elements above carbon where the N is more than or
equal to 6. X-rays are generated when the electron strike the sample. EDX system
will collect and display the x-rays in the form of a spectrum, with Guassian peaks
superimposed on a background offset. The element can be detected by studying the
energy level of the peak in the graph. EDX is commonly applied together with SEM;
the low vacuum mode has some implications for X-ray analysis. Gas molecules are
able to cause scattering of beam enabling other area of sample can be detected.
Energy of each x-ray will be converted into voltage signal of proportional size in the
EDX detector. This is done in 3 stages, converting of x-ray into a charge by the
ionization of atom in the semiconductor crystal, converting of charge into voltage
signal by FET preamplifier and input of voltage signal into pulse processor for
measurement. The output from the preamplifier can be known as voltage ramp.
The characteristic X-ray of sample can be obtained by bombarding the electron to
the surface. Measurement electron hole pairs are done in the crystal and the output
voltage ramp showing events are induced by MnK X-rays.
For accurate and precise result, the chamber view in the SEM must be closed. This
is to preent the interruption of the EDX signal. The collection efficiency of EDX is
more sensitive when the working distance, distance between the crystal and the
4

sample are closer, and the optimum working distance ranging from 22-24 mm.
Besides, the specimen is preferred to place flat and not to be tilted. The sample
that will proceed to EDX analysis should not be sputter as it might affect the
elemental analysis. However, a 15 second of sputtering time will be applied if the
sample is non conductive.
Noise is often observed in the result. This is because noise is strongly influenced by
the FET. However, low noise is needed to distinguish low energy x-rays, for instance
beryllium. Sometimes, the noise in the EDX analysis will shows a inaccurate data.
The K alpha value of each element can be used to confirm the elemental analysis.
This can be done by altering the voltage applied for EDX.
Input rate simply means the approximate rate of photons striking the detector and
is adjustable by the beam current. The acquisition rate, output rate means how fast
the system can accumulate the spectrum counts, the rate of x-ray data leaving and
entering. The spectrum counts will affect the statistical precision and the limits of
detection. The dead time % shows the percentage of time for which the pulse
processor is unavailable for further counting. The higher process time will also yield
a higher dead time%.

X-Ray
X-ray radiography is considered as a non-destructive analysis. Sample and its
failure mode will not be altered or affected under x-ray analysis. It is suitable for
the verification of the construction inside a sample depending on the material
density differences. Image contrast is given based on different absorption as well as
thickness.
A focused electron beam will creates a point source of x-rays on the Al anode and a
quartz crystal monochromator will refocuses the x-ray beam onto the sample. The
scanning of the electron beam will trigger the scanning of the x-ray beam.
Absorption is proportional to material thickness, third potency of atomic number
and material density. For example, dense materials are more opaque to x-ray since
the penetration is limited through metals as compared to ceramics and polymers.
Besides that, minor defects, delamination, cracks and disbands cannot be observed
4

under x-ray due to the non-absorbing properties of air. X-ray machine such as Fein
Focus X-ray and Nikon XTV 160 with CT are mainly use for to detect unwanted
foreign material inside the sample, internal open circuits, sagging or sweeping wire
defects, die attach voids, mould compound voids, shorts and changes in alignment
within package. The Geometrical magnification of X-ray machine can up to 2000
times and the spatial resolution is in micron meter range.

Liquid Crsytal Thermograph

Liquid crystal thermograph analysis is a fast, affordable, non-destructive technique.
The hot spots at the location where the temperature of the circuit is higher than the
surrounding area can easily detect. Leaky spot, shorted junction and metal lines
with shorts to underlying structure and oxide breakdown layers are others defects
that can be localized by the hot spot detections technique. There are 4 phase in the
liquid crystal thermograph such as isotropic phase (liquid), nematic phase(liquid
crystal), smetic phase (liquid crystal) and chystalline phase (solid). But, only
isotropic phase and nematic phase are involve in failure analysis techniques. Liquid
crystal has a milky appearance in a tube because the molecules randomly located
but aligned parallel to each other. A thickness about 5 to 10 um of liquid crystal is
applied evenly on a clean decapsulated sample and follow by the illumination of
polarized light and viewing through a cross polarized analyser. As a result, a
rainbow colour is observed. Even dull grey is observed for excessive thickness
whereas insufficient thickness will have a streak of dark and light grey. Pulsed
voltage will be applied from Wentworth Analytical Probe MP-900 to the sample. The
sample will change from nematic to isotropic phase when liquid crystal reaches its
clearing point. Liquid crystal will appear in a transparent liquid form in isotropic
phase. Twinkled hot spot will be seen clearly on the surface under metallurgical
microscope with cross-polarised light. The hot spot area has a higher concentration
of current as compared to the surrounding. In most cases, burnt mark can be seen
after delayering process.

Die Probing

Die Probing is meant for evaluation and troubleshooting of complex, high density
integrated circuits where the electrical contact to submicron geometric patterns is
needed. For LC thermograph analysis, liquid crystal must be applied to the sample
before locating the probe needles to the interest point. Positioning of the probe
needles can be done with the help of the x,y,z control of the probes and the high
magnification optical lens. The wires are then connected to the respective socket of
the curve tracer to electrically bias the sample under the test.

Curve tracer
The electrical test verification is done with curve tracer and die probing. The sample
is first placed at the die probing stage and the probe needles will be placed at the
interest point. The coonector from die probing will then connect to the correct
socket of the curve trace to electrically bias the device under the test. Proper
adjustment of voltage and ampere are required to produce a graph for comparison.
This will help to differentiate a good device and a bad device.

Bake Treatment & Sample Storing

The oven serves two purposes, both bake treatment and sample storing. Leakage
failure due to moisture trap can be recovered by bake treatment. The verification of
moisture trapped within the package is important. The treatment is used for the
demobilisation of mobile ionic contamination on the die surface and it is applicable
for leakage failures from HTRB and operating life tests. For sample stample storing,
all the analysed device will be stored in the oven at 50 oC for 6 months in case the
requester want to proceed for further analysis.

Safety Trainings
Laser safety training, electrostatic discharge (ESD) training, chemical safety
training and radiation training were provided during the industrial training. The
purpose of thet trainings is to improve the work quality, develop good quality
product as well as produce trained certified and competent employees. The training
4

enable the employees to ensure their own safety, understand more about the risk
and hazard, the safety precaution and the treatment.
There are four classes of laser, 1 ,2 3a, 3b and 4. The classification is based on the
energy produced, range of spectrum and the disclosure rate. The application include
holography, treatment material, alignment, measurement, operation, marking and
technology.

All laser must be labelled accordingly to their clases. Skin and eye

can be damaged easily by the laser equipment. Eye wear and interlocks are
provided to minimize the injuries.
ESD is a rapid transfer of electrostatic charge between different bodies at different
potential. Contact pressure, speed of separation , relative humidity and type of
surfaces are factors that determine the magnitude and polarity of charges. ESD risk
assessment must be done to protect the devices from ESD damage. Huamn body
model, machine model and charged devide model are example of ESD models. The
footwear tester with magnetic controlled door and senor were installed at the
entrance door for safety precaution
During the chemical safety training, the acts and laws related to chemical were
studied.

The definition, symbol ,example ,precaution and treatment for different

kind of chemical. If someone is exposed to hydrogen fluoride, the treatment is to

wash with water for ten minute then apply antidote ( polyethylene glycol 400 ). The
labelling,storing, additional information about the chemical, risk and effect and
treatment must be understand well before handling the chemical. All chemical
process must be done in fuming hood chamber with appropriate PPE.

Radiation can cause alterations in important biochemical processes in human

bodies. The radiation risk depend on the amount of radiation does, type of
radiation, type of tissue affected and the age of the person. Manufacture of
semiconductor products and recognition of variances in the microstructures and
their correction require the use of ionizing radiation. The occupational radiation
exposure is limited below 0.05 SIEVERT per year.

Skills Gained
4

Knowledge and understanding

Study the principles and theories of machine
Principles of design applied and detailed desgin
Intellectual Skill
Operation of Machine able to operate complicated machine
Reporting of investigations using the engineering understanding
Professional Practical Skill
Able to analyse the cause of defect in devices
Carry out risk assessments and use technical equipment safely in lab
Safety management - Use of appropriate PPE
General Transferable Skill
Communicate effectively in written, oral, pictorial and graphical means
Time and priority management - Manage time and resources well
Work independently and inteams in a range of roles
Presentation Skill

Company Safety policy

There are few types of safe practices in the company such as noise, chemical,
machine, eye protection, ergonomics, electrical, hand tools, fire safety, safety signs
and emergency procedures in the company. This is to prevent injuries, life
threatening situations as well as death.

General Safety policy

Machine and equipments must always be in a guards place with good working
condition. All the hazardous and toxic materials need to be labelled, stored and
disposed properly. Wiring secure is done for hand tools and uses it carefully to
avoid any incidents. Fire exits and fire fighting equipment are identified clearly and
unobstructed and the escape routes are made known to all. Use the right type of
hearing protection to prevent exposure to loud noises. Do not share the ear plugs
to avoid spreading of ear infections and always keep it clean. Do not run extension
cords across pathways, do not pull connections, do not twist the wiring and do not
cover ventilation holes are the ways to prevent electric shocks. Understand the
symbol and signs mean, follow the safety precautions, use the PPE properly, keep
the work place organized and clean and wash hands before eating are the chemical
safety. Learn how to operate the machines properly, pay attention when working on
the machine, do not wear lose clothing or accessories, keep hair neatly tied up and
do not remove the protective guards of the machine as the moving parts, electric
currents and the lasers can pose dangers to the user. Ways to prevent fire are
handle flammable chemicals well, check equipment regularly, no smoking in the
working areas and keep the workplace neat. Small fires can be easily put out
whereas large fires will need to raise the alarm to inform others. Flying particles
blows to the eye and eye strain require a correct PPE to protect the eye. Prohibition
Signs, Mandatory Signs, Warning Signs, Safety Condition Signs should be checked
regularly and renew it if the signs cannot be seen clearly. Poor sitting or lifting
habits can cause ergonomics and backaches. There are two types of emergency
alarms, intermittent and continuous. Intermittent alarm will alert the staffs and
ready to evacuate the building. All the staff must evacuate the building immediately
using the nearest and safest exit, and then proceed to the assembly areas when
4

the continuous alarm rings. Emergency routes and assembly areas must be
provided at each building.

FA safety policy
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) report is compulsory for any machine or
equipment. Inspector will be assigned to examine the machine based on
Environmental Quality Act 1974, Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations
1978, Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 1989, Environmental
Quality (Industrial Effluents) Regulants 2009 and etc. Safety and Health related to
Occupational Safety and Health Acts and Factories and Machinery Acts must also be
checked by the inspector. Workplace Risk & Hazard Assessment which includes all
kinds of potential hazards such as chemical in health and physical aspects,
mechanical, electrical, ionizing radiation, noise, heat and others must be considered
well and attached in the SHE report.
Work instruction is one of the safety policy required in the company. The purpose,
scope related specification, equipment used, material used and the maintenance
should be prepared. Besides that, the description of workflow and method must be
mentioned in the work instruction. Safety such as authorization, precautions,
chemicals, additional information and emergency should also be included in the
documents. The waste disposal for solid waste is another one of the requirements
for work instruction.
All

SHE

report,

machine

inspection

checklist,

workplace

risk

and

hazard

assessment, work instruction, and other machine buy off documents will then be
stored in a system, DOK28.

Chapter 4: Conclusion
These twelve weeks of the industrial training programmed at Infineon Technologies
have been a highly enriching experience for me. Throughout my internship here, I
gained lots of useful knowledge and experience and I willing to learn more when
graduate from my studies. The working environment in Infineon Technologies is
very exciting as most of colleagues especially in FA 4 are very friendly and helpful.
The departmental workforces are willing to offer guidance and technical assistance
to me in performing my routine activities during my training at the company. I have
gained useful working experience from the company as this is essential for me to
instill myself with the positive character taken by the employees.
Moreover, I have been given a chance to hands on SEM, FESEM, SAM, X-ray, Laser,
Die probing, Curve tracer, Sputter Coater, EDX, optical scope and more to perform
analysis task. At the same time, I learnt to interpreate findings in order to
formulate results regarding the cause of failure. Through my daily responsibility, I
am able to apply theory into practical and develop my interpersonal skills which are
very useful in fostering good relationship among my colleague.
I faced some problems regarding the usage of machine in the lab. Priority was
given to the permenanat staff. As a results, my work load over the limit and the FA
cycle time achieved the due date. I need to come expedite my work to settle the
tasks given before the due date. However, skills such as punctuality, teamwork,
time management, priority management and responsibility developed during the
training enable me to encounter the problems.
As the technology grows rapidly, more critical thinking engineer are needed to meet
and come up with the increasingly dynamic industry, especially after the economic
down turn, and I do believe the experience gained right here would help me a lot
when my coming future.
Lastly, it has been great practical training in Infineon Technologies, especially in
Quality Management Department. Since here is really a good place and opportunity
for me to expose to the actual working environment that is significantly different
from the university life.

References

Presentation Slide of Laser Safety Training

Presentation Slide of Chemical Safety Training
Presentation Slide of ESD Training
Presentation Slide of Radiation Training
Presentation Slide of Whisker
Presentation Slide of FA Semiconductor Component
Presentation slide of SEM
Presentation slide of FESEM
Presentation slide of SAM
Presentation slide of X-ray
Presentation slide of Sputter Coater
Presentation slide of EDX
SHE report
Work instruction documents
Risk and Health Assessment documents

Appendix

Bright field image

Dark field image

EFI image

Low power scope

Fluorescence image

MIA image

High power scope

SAM machines

4 different types of scanning in SAM

Isomet Cutter

Grinding machine

SEM

EDX

Polishing Machine

FESEM

Sputter Coater
4

X-ray machines

Die Probing

Curve Tracer

Oven