X-ray microscopy is a defect characterization technique used to detect abnormalities in the internal assembly of devices and modules. It is generally used to detect whether the chip wires are desoldering or short-circuited, detect voids inside chips and modules, and calculate the void rate.
Principle: The different X-ray absorption capabilities of different materials are used for imaging objects.

Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a defect characterization technique used to detect delamination between different materials in packaged devices and cracks within the same medium.
Principle: The internal structures of materials have different characteristics due to different densities, resulting in different ultrasonic acoustic impedance, ultrasonic absorption and reflection levels, which enables qualitative analysis of internal defects in the materials. The technique is widely used in semiconductor assembly and material industries.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a means of observation between transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy. It uses a focused, narrow high-energy electron beam to scan the sample, and stimulates a variety of physical information through the interaction between the beam and the material. This information is collected, magnified, and re-imaged to achieve the purpose of characterizing the microscopic topography of the material. In failure analysis, SEM is mainly used to detect the surface topology of the failed product.

Laser Decap removes the plastic shell of chips or electronic components using laser to reduce the corrosion damage on copper leads caused by chemical decapsulation. Laser Decap and chemical treatment of plastic molding compound on the sample surface are common methods in failure analysis.

The Cross section Polisher (CP) polishes the sample with an argon ion beam, which leads to a sample with a smooth surface/cross-section, without mechanical damage to the sample. CP can remove metallographic milling damage layers, resulting in a high-quality sample for imaging, EDS, EBSD, EBIC, or other analyses on SEM, OM, or scanning probe microscopes.

InGaAs EMMI: If MOS devices experience dielectric breakdown, hot carrier injection, PN junction reverse leakage and latch-up effect in CMOS circuits when the chip is powered-on, Electron Hole Pairs (EHP) are recombined and emit photons. The EMMI technology collects photons emitted through an InGaAs lens, superimposes the luminescence image and the optical emission image on the device surface, and locates the failure point and defect.

The OBIRCH locally heats the sample through laser scanning. When DC voltage is applied, resistance changes occur on different parts of the chip due to temperature changes, and the current also changes. The system records the amount of change in the current, recording with different colors in the image, and pinpoints the chip failure by detecting the change in the current.