Failure Analysis Of Devices Research Articles

Terahertz near-field imaging of buried structures.

We report a characterization of the spatial resolution of terahertz (THz) apertureless near-field imaging of metal lines deeply buried beneath a silicon dioxide layer. We find a good resolution for edge contrast, even in the case where the capping layer is considerably thicker than the tip radius. We find that contrast and resolution depend on demodulation frequency, thickness of the capping layer, and radius of the tip. Furthermore, we observe a distinct dependence of the contrast on the direction of the incoming radiation, in both experiments and simulations. Characterization of buried features can be a valuable tool in non-contact failure analysis of semiconductor devices.

Demand for AI Computing will Shape FA Community

Abstract The electronic device failure analysis community will be instrumental in successfully guiding the industry's transformation in reponse to demand for artificial intelligence capabilities. This editorial outlines the challenge and how the FA community can help address growing needs in this technical area.

EDFAS' Role and Recent Progress in Cultivating Future Leaders

Abstract This guest column outlines pilot programs and activities undertaken by the Electronic Device Failure Analysis Society to engage students and young professionals.

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Failure Analysis in Overvoltage Condition

This paper presents the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) device failure analysis in overvoltage condition, which is a normal phenomenon occurring in a poor power quality utility system. In most of the IGBT gate drive design, conventionally it embeds the overvoltage protection circuit, however, the problem of short-circuit would still happen. Therefore, a detailed study had been carried out, where the overvoltage condition is being simulated to a boost Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuit implementing the IGBT as a switching device. A set of equations is derived for calculating the maximum junction temperature of an IGBT using the device switching characteristics during overvoltage condition. This approach can be used to determine the heat generation of IGBT device as well as identifying the root-cause of the short-circuit failure of hard switching design scheme during overvoltage condition.

Direct visualization and 3D reconstruction of conductive filaments in aSiO2 material-based memristive device.

Observation of conductive filaments has greatly aided the development of theoretical models of memristive devices. In this work, we visualized and reconstructed the conductive filaments in a Cu/Cu-doped SiO2/W device employing a focused ion beam (FIB) as a milling technique. The SEM images taken from the device after 150 DC sweep cycles showed that Joule heat played a vital role in determining the morphology of a conductive filament, where the vaporization of the conductive filament resulted in the creation of defects, including particles, voids, and cavities. The competition between the formation and vaporization of conductive filaments generally induces a remarkable current fluctuation. Since Cu-doped SiO2 was utilized as the electrolyte, the vapors exfoliated adjacent single layers. FIB milling proceeded in top-down and front-back modes; thus, a 3D model of conductive filaments and defects was constructed according to a series of FIB-SEM images. This methodology is promising for a future failure analysis of memristive devices.

Segmentation Techniques for Lock-in Thermography in Real-Time Industrial Failure Detection

This paper discusses the application of semantic segmentation techniques to automate defect detection using lock-in thermogra- phy (LIT) for the failure analysis of power electronic devices. Different segmentation algorithms, such as U-Net, SegNet, and DeepLabV3+, were integrated to evaluate their efficiency in segmenting thermal images for accurate defect detection. A dataset derived from synthetic data generated from finite element modeling (FEM) was fine-tuned based on the experiments done on an alu- minum specimen. It was found that U-Net performed better than other segmentation algorithms, with high accuracy and robustness in defect segmentation. This approach enhances the precision of defect detection while addressing the challenge of limited training data in real-world scenarios, representing a significant advancement towards automated, real-time industrial failure analysis.

Advanced Manufacturing Panel at IMAT 2023

Abstract This article presents highlights from a panel session held at International Materials, Applications & Technologies (IMAT) 2023. Experts from ASM affiliate societies shared insights on the impact of new materials and manufacturing technologies in their respective fields. The panel was moderated by David Furrer, Pratt & Whitney. The panelists were Thomas Ackerson, Blue Origin LLC (representing the Failure Analysis Society); Arvind Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University (Thermal Spray Society); Marvin Barnes, NASA (Heat Treating Society); Jay Demarest, IBM (Electronic Device Failure Analysis Society); and Laura Moyer, Lehigh University (International Metallographic Society).

3D process simulation-assisted device failure analysis with virtual defect injection in IC layout

The development and use of nanotechnology has enabled the creation of submicron electronic devices with unprecedented levels of functionality, speed, and efficiency. While most of the semiconductor industry and its consumers are becoming increasingly dependent on nanoelectronics, these devices are becoming more susceptible to defects and transient faults. Non-Visual Defects (NVD) is a category of semiconductor material and process induced defect that cause electrical failures but are not detected with visual wafer inspection tools (Findlay et al., 2016 [1] and Kim et al., 2009 [10]) or with fault localization tools. Devices with NVD may fail at any stage of their life cycle and may benefit from complex Failure Analysis (FA) investigations including software support to analyze design and diagnostic data. For a higher FA success rate, these investigations can be further supplemented with Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) Process Simulation software to simulate a failure prior to actual physical analysis on limited device samples. In this work, we will showcase an innovative technique for simulating NVD using a 3D process model to pinpoint the exact process step where the defect was introduced. By injecting a new virtual defect layer (which can be autonomously introduced by an FA engineer) in the original device data, we can emulate the failing device. We also present a real-life case study where defect simulation correlates well with the actual Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) cross-section results.

The EDFAS FA Technology Roadmap Die-Level Post-Isolation Domain Technical Summary

Abstract The Electronic Device Failure Analysis Society established the Die-Level Post-Isolation Domain Council to provide an overview of the upcoming challenges in this area and guide technique developments for next-generation analytical tools. This column summarizes the findings of the council in the areas of sample preparation, microscopy, nanoprobing, circuit editing, and scanning probe microscopy. It is a preview of the full roadmap document, which is in preparation to be released to the EDFAS community.

Impact Analysis of Off-State Avalanche-Breakdown Stress on 650 V-Class Superjunction MOSFET

In this work, the reliability degradation of a 650 V-class superjunction (SJ) MOSFET under continuous violent OFF-state avalanche-breakdown stress is studied. Decreased threshold voltage and increasing saturation current have been observed which are attributed to the injection of hot holes below the trench bottom into the gate oxide layer. High-energy electrons and holes are generated under OFF-state avalanche stress leading to accelerated and violent collision ionization. The body diode suffers from severe avalanche breakdown leading to heat generation by collision ionization. In addition, the injection of hot holes is further enhanced with the assistance of the electrical field at the bottom of the gate. These phenomena are further analyzed by experimental characterizations and theoretical simulation using TCAD tools. Our comprehensive study on the reliability degradation behaviors of SJ devices under OFF-state avalanche-breakdown stress can be instructive in future device optimization and failure analysis.

Predictive model and physical interpretation of asymmetric features in pyroshock signals

In aerospace engineering, electronic devices can be easily damaged under pyroshock environments, and therefore, shock testing is required. The shock response spectrum (SRS) is the widely adopted specification tool to compare shock severities between field pyroshocks and testing shocks. However, two shocks with almost the same SRS but different temporal features could still lead to large differences in the failure of a device. The test specification should consider temporal features of shocks in order to be more representative of the field shocks. During shock propagation, shock signal evolves from an exponentially decaying shape to an asymmetric shape with an increased initial rise stage, which is characterized by the temporal moment or asymmetric basis functions. This study explains the evolution mechanism of shock asymmetry based on elastic wave propagation theory and proposed a predictive model. The theoretical foundation for the application of signal asymmetry in pyroshock characterization, device failure analysis and SRS reconstruction is provided.

A comparative study on corrosion failure analysis of hearing aid devices from different markets

AbstractThe vulnerability of hearing aid devices to corrosion is critical due to their exposure to various kinds of ionic contaminants from the human body, such as sweat, sebum, and so forth, and harsh climatic conditions such as high temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pollutants. The device failure rate will vary depending upon the type of geographical location at which the device is used and root cause failure analysis is a crucial tool to understand the effect of geographical location on corrosion failures. In this study, field failed hearing aid devices from Europe, the United States, and Japan markets were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and elemental dispersive spectroscopy to locate failure mechanisms and causes. Information from the analysis was used for statistical analysis to compare the performance of the devices in the three markets based on failure percentage and failure probability for different parts and components. Solder terminals, battery contacts, light‐emitting diodes, and wireless‐link coil showed consistent and high failure probability across all three markets, whereas a higher failure rate for microphones was found in Europe and the United States market as compared to the Japanese market. The majority of the components corrosion failures occurred in the presence of high chloride ions from human sweat and the atmospheric conditions, whereas potassium hydroxide from the leakage of Zn–air battery was found as the additional cause for microphone failure.

Numerical analysis of reaction forces at the supports of sliding microwire

The reaction forces at the tungsten support probes of a platinum microwire are determined by numerical analysis for different push-pull sliding velocities and contact pressures. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool ANSYS Workbench is used to evaluate the contact stresses, reaction forces and deformations of the platinum microwire. The nonlinear contact analysis and contact formulations are implemented to ensure that the platinum microwire maintained contact with the tungsten support probes during push-pull sliding motion, and transfer frictional forces between contact surfaces without penetration and separation. The reaction forces at the support probes are found independent of the sliding velocity of the platinum microwire and vary with normal contact pressure. The results found in the numerical analysis are validated through experimental works. Due to the tiny size, the nonlinearity of contacts and indeterminate supports criteria, it is difficult to determine the reaction forces at the supports of a sliding microwire by conventional mechanics. The method of the numerical analysis of the sliding microwire presented in this paper can be used to determine the reaction forces of other microstructures, validate the experimental results, as well as to evaluate total disturbance forces in the microstructures where relative motion exists; which are important for the proper design and failure analysis of the MEMS devices and microstructures.

Indentation fracture toughness of semiconducting gallium arsenide at elevated temperatures

In this study, the temperature evolution of the fracture toughness in single-crystal gallium arsenide (GaAs) was investigated on the (001) plane using Vickers indentation. The highest temperature considered was 95 °C, corresponding to the typical maximum operating temperature of common GaAs semiconductor devices. Experimental results showed a decrease in hardness and an increase in toughness between 25 and 95 °C. GaAs cleavage planes were mostly composed of {110} and {100}, and predominantly aligned with the indenter’s diagonal. Measured crack lengths were used to calculate the fracture toughness. Interestingly, the size of the primary cracks on {110} was found to be unaffected by temperature, while higher temperatures led to an increased formation of secondary {001} cracks and 〈110〉 slip. An Arrhenius-type model was found to describe the observed temperature dependence of the fracture toughness. This improved understanding of the mechanism underlying the mechanical properties of GaAs during fracture is particularly useful for the failure analysis of GaAs semiconductor devices, and highlights the importance of selecting appropriate crystallographic orientations if failure in GaAs devices is to be avoided.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization and microbial community profiling analysis of explanted cochlear implants

Background Cochlear implant (CI) infections affect a small, but significant number of patients. Unremitting infections can lead to explantation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microbial community profiling (MCP) are methods of studying microbial environments of explanted devices that can provide information to reduce morbidity and costs of infected CIs. Aims/objectives To describe the results and clinical significance of bacterial analyses conducted on explanted CIs. Material and methods Between 2013 and 2017, 12 explanted devices underwent microbiological analysis in addition to the manufacturer’s device failure analysis. Patients’ clinical history, infection status and outcome were reviewed and correlated with microbial analysis results. Results From 2013 to 2017, 12 Cochlear™ devices from 11 patients underwent additional MCP or FISH analysis. Five devices were explanted due to suspected implant associated infection, and seven were explanted for other reasons. FISH analysis revealed biofilm presence on all infected devices, only partial correlation of cultures with biofilm composition and confirmation that biofilm formation occurs preferentially at particular device interfaces and geometries. MCP analysis presented challenges in data analysis inherent to its technique but correlated with cultures of infected devices and suggested a diverse microbial composition of explanted devices. Conclusions and significance Microbial analysis of explanted devices can aid in further elucidating treatment approaches to infected CIs.

Electron tomography of microelectronic device interconnects

Abstract As the dimensions of microelectronic devices continue to decrease, single transmission electron microscopy images are not able to properly represent the 3D structures when the structure’s curvature is comparable to the sample thickness. Electron tomography was used to study cylindrical vias coated with Ta-barrier layers and Cu-seed layers in 3D. Tomography reconstructions from both bright field images and high angle annular dark field images are presented. Fidelity of the reconstruction from single-axis and dual-axis tilt series is compared. Strategies for improving the fidelity of the reconstruction and making electron tomography practically applicable for device failure analysis of microelectronic industry are discussed.

Failure Analysis of Medical Devices

Failure Analysis of Medical Devices

Scanning Nitrogen Vacancy Magnetometry: A Quantum Technology for Device Failure Analysis

Abstract This article describes the basic measurement physics of scanning nitrogen vacancy (NV) microscopy and the various ways it can be used in semiconductor device failure analysis. Scanning NV microscopy can measure topography as well as magnetic fields, local current density, ac noise, and local temperature variations.

17.4: Invited Paper: Characterization and Failure Analysis of OLED devices by FIB/TEM Techniques

In this paper, we reported the application of TEM‐based techniques for the physical characterization and failure analysis of OLED devices. By using our new FIB‐TEM techniques, we successfully identified nanoscale multilayered organic film stacks in OLED devices, enabling the failure root understanding of the dark emission of R pixels in an OLD device. Other two case studies presented in this work demonstrated the importance of the combination of plane‐view FIB‐TEM with cross‐section FIB‐TEM techniques, and the grain size analysis techniques by TEM for the failure analysis of the OLED devices.

A risk assessment method based on the failure analysis of medical devices in the adult Intensive Care Unit

Backgrounds and Objective: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) receives patients whose situation demands high complexity tasks. Their recovery depends on medical care, their response to medications and clinical procedures, and the optimal functioning of the medical devices devoted to them. Adverse events in ICU due to failures in the facilities, particularly medical devices, have an important impact not only on the patients but also on the operators and all those involved in their care. The origins of the technological failures seem to be more oriented to the interaction between the equipment and the operator: once the medical equipment is functioning, we must guarantee its correct execution to meet both the clinical service's objectives and the expectations of those involved in care, including the patients themselves. We present an approach to quality management based on failure analysis as the source of risk for medical devices' functioning and operation in the ICU. We decided to address it through a systematic approach by using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method and the Ishikawa diagrams' support to obtain the causes graphically.
 Material and Methods: We used the risk analysis framework as a basis of the methodology. By obtaining the causes and sub causes of technological failures in the ICU for adult patients, we applied the FMEA method and the Ishikawa diagrams to analyze the relationship between cause and failure. The ICU devices came from the Official Mexican Standard and WHO information related to the ICU operation and facilities. The data from the causes of failure came from specialized consultation and discussion forums on medical devices where these topics were addressed; we searched for over five years in Spanish forums. We proposed a calculation of the Risk Priority Number based on the information subtracted from the forums. Then, we defined an indicator showing the priority level that can be used to address the issue.
 Results: In general, the results showed that most of the medical equipment failure causes have medium and high-risk priority levels and, in some cases, the cause presented as the most prevalent didn't match with the reported in official documents such as technical or operation manuals. The most frequent causes found are related to electrical system issues and operation skills. We presented three study cases: defibrillator, vital sign monitor, and volumetric ventilator, to show the risk level designation. The conclusions inferred from these cases are oriented to training strategies and the development of support material in Spanish.
 Conclusion: The development of risk management methodologies that aim to monitor and solve potential hazard situations in critical areas is valuable to the health technology management program. The FMEA method showed to be a strong basis for the risk assessment processes, and its application to the ICU medical technology allowed the creation of the evidence supporting the decision-making process concerning strategic solutions to guarantee patient safety