Equipment

Our clients receive a unique and comprehensive offer for failure analysis and material characterisation. Grouped together in a single centre to save time and costs, run by a committed and service-orientated team, which has excellent knowledge of material-induced problems in microelectronics. In addition there are top level technical facilities - the Fraunhofer IMWS has the most comprehensive equipment for microstructure elucidation within the Fraunhofer community.

Non-destructive defect localisation

• Scanning acoustic microscopy (MHz, GHz)
• Lock-in and pulse-phase thermography
• X-ray analysis and 3D tomography

Target preparation techniques

• Delayering (CMP)
• Metallographic preparation and chemical decapsulation
• Use of laser beams for decapsulation and making transverse sections
• Use of ion beams to make transverse sections and for polishing
• Locally limited mechanical grinding method, preparation from the IC rear
• Cryo ultramicrotome, rotating microtome

Focused ion beam method and electron microscopy

• High-performance FIB system and chem. etching of grooves in Si, integrated IR microscope
• Crossbeam FIB system with EDX and EBSD
• Crossbeam FIB system for the TEM Lift-out method
• ESEM FIB system with cryo transfer
• Low-energy Ar FIB techniques for sample finishing for TEM tests
• Various high-resolution SEM with electrical in-situ contact and EBIC/EBAC
• Analytical SEM with EBSD, EDX, WDX
• Environmental SEM (ESEM) with in-situ investigations and levels
• TEM (200 kV) with ns-EDX and in-situ investigations
• TEM (200 kV) with ns-EDX, EELS, NBD
• EF-TEM (60-300 kV) with Cs correction, EDX, EELS, HAADF, STEM

Surface and trace analysis

• Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
• Photoelectron, UV and auger electron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS, AES)
• Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)
• Mass spectrometry with inductive coupled plasma (ICP-MS)
• Contact angle measurements

Crystallography and optical spectrometry

• Micro X-ray diffraction (XRD)
• Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)
• IR, light and fluorescent microscropy
• UV/VIS, fluorescence and FTIR spectroscopy
• Micro-Raman spectroscopy
• Electro / photoluminescence
• IR double refraction investigations (for Si components)

Surface topography and deformation

• Mechanical profilometry
• Laser scanning microscopy
• White light interferometry
• Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI)
• Image correlation systems for the 3D forming analysis
• Wafer bow and thickness fluctuations

Polymer characterisation

• Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
• Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)
• Thermogravimetry (TGA) with FTIR
• Thermomechanical analysis (TMA, dilatometry)
• Thermal conductivity analysis (TCA, laser flash)
• Rheometry

Mechanical testing and evaluation

• Static and dynamic material test machines up into the mN load range
• Nanoindentation (T-dependent) and micro hardness test
• Tension and shear tester for microelectronic interconnection technology
• Individualized MEMS, piezo-driven fatigue tests and wafer contact tests
• MEMS analysis including laser vibrometry, stroboscope video microscopy and white light interferometry
• Electrical test station, parameter analysis
• High throughput, thermal shock, humidity and vibration tests