Novel Submicron Spatial Resolution Infrared Microspectroscopy for Failure Analysis of Semiconductor Components

This paper demonstrates the capability of submicron Optical PhotoThermal InfraRed (O-PTIR) spectroscopy in the chemical identification of semiconductor component failures during failure analysis which was otherwise limited by conventional Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). In the case studies presented, O-PTIR could analyze imperfect sample surfaces of (1) a 5 μm narrow gap filled with strong infrared absorbers, and of (2) poorly reflective regions. The versatility of O-PTIR provides precise identification of material chemical identification to improve failure analysis capabilities of such challenging samples.