With the increasing adoption of 2.5D and 3D ICs in semiconductor manufacturing, the sophistication of packaging design is on the rise, highlighting the importance of robust quality assurance practices in bringing these complex architectures to market. Key to enabling these developments are wafer substrates, forming the vital connection between silicon dies. While a significant amount of focus in substrate quality control goes toward evaluating the attributes and performance of through-silicon-vias, at almost all stages wtihin the wafer processing and manufacturing chain a subtle yet equally dangerous defect can occur. Micro-cracks. Only a few micrometers long and invisible to the naked eye, they can propagate during subsequent processing or handling of delicate wafers, especially as the industry moves towards even thinner substrate layers, and ultimately cause device failure, yield loss, or poor reliability.
Micro-cracks are commonly found:
In the fast-moving and high-pressure environment of semiconductor manufacturing, it is vital to adopt comprehensive inspection strategies to maintain a competitive edge. Prompt identification and resolution of issues and defects throughout the design and manufacturing phases are crucial for efficient production scaling, improved yield, and faster market entry.
At present, there are a range of inspection technologies (both destructive and non-destructive) that can be used to detect micro-cracks and their effects at various stages of processing, with the most common being infrared microscopy and scanning acoustic microscopy.
Including 3D X-ray into the semiconductor inspection workflow offers significant value by detecting the secondary effects of micro-cracks, such as delamination, cracks around micro-bumps, TSV damage, package warpage, void formation, and structural failures in stacked devices. This capability makes X-ray CT a valuable complementary inspection technology for both process development (R&D) and failure analysis in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
In summary, as wafer thickness decreases and their importance as a substrate layer increases, micro-cracks are an important defect for semiconductor manufacturers to monitor to ensure a consistent yield. Until now, popular methods such as IR microscopy or SAM have proven useful in detecting these cracks before they propogate further down the process, however, 3D X-ray (CT) is growing in importance as a complementary inspection technology thanks to its ability to detect important secondary effects of these micro-cracks, alongside typical manufacturing defects that are visible with X-ray technology, such as voids in TSVs, fill-level, and more.
You would like to find out more about how our CT and X-ray systems can support semiconductor inspection?
View our detailed industry page via this link: https://yxlon.comet.tech/en/industries/semiconductors
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