ZEISS accelerates time to market for advanced semiconductor packages
ZEISS has introduced the ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan– a submicron-resolution, 3D non-destructive imaging solution for inspection and measurement that accelerates time to market for advanced IC packages. Utilizing 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM) with ZEISS’s revolutionary Resolution at a Distance (RaaD™) technology and sophisticated analytical software, the ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan provides rich volumetric and linear measurements of buried features in the most advanced packages that cannot be achieved with existing methods, such as physical cross-section, 2D X-ray and microCT. The result is higher-accuracy engineering data that can be used to reduce development and yield learning cycles of advanced packages.
The ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan supports design verification, product development, process optimization and quality assurance/control (QA/QC) of complex fine-pitch 3D architectures, including 2.5D interposers, high-bandwidth memory stacks with through silicon vias (TSVs) and microbumps, package-on-package interconnects, and ultra-thin memory with multiple chips in a stack.
Measurement Challenges in a 3D Packaging World
The demand for increased miniaturization and higher input/output in mobile and high-performance devices has driven an explosion of innovations that enable high-density multi-chip architectures. These designs are increasingly driving packaging interconnects into the third dimension. Measurements at critical process steps are a key enabler for the introduction and production of new and advanced technologies that have narrow process margins or are difficult to control. However, the structures in today’s advanced packages are often inaccessible or too small for measurements by non-destructive methods, such as 2D X-ray and microCT. In addition, physical cross-section lacks the ability to provide 3D volumetric data, is destructive and time-consuming, and typically provides only a small number of samples, which are often not statistically valid for improving process control.
“In this new era of 3D packaging, new approaches are needed to measure buried interconnects and other critical features with a practical throughput to enable faster time to market for new products,” stated Dr. Raj Jammy, Head of ZEISS Process Control Solutions (PCS) and Carl Zeiss SMT, Inc. “For nearly a decade, ZEISS Xradia Versa 3D XRM systems have been the standard for non-destructive failure analysis of semiconductor packages. The ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan adds a new dimension of capabilities to the industry-leading Versa platform by providing linear and volumetric measurements of critical buried features in advanced packages – enabling better processes, faster learning cycles and higher yields.”
High-resolution Non-Destructive 3D Measurements
The new ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan includes ZEISS’s proven Versa 3D XRM capability, which images and measures buried features non-destructively with submicron resolution, and extracts critical 3D information based on reconstructed 3D data sets. It can perform both linear and volumetric measurements, as well as dimensional analysis of TSVs and microbumps, solder volumes and shapes, bond line thicknesses and die warpage, 3D void analysis, and other measurements of interest with minimal need for sample preparation. The semi-automated workflow provides repeatable measurements, which ensures that no images are lost due to cross-sectioning errors, and minimizes measurement variability inherent in manual techniques.
Key features of the ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan include:
Ability to view and measure virtually any object in any volume or plane, providing greater statistics and repeatability compared to standard cross-sections
Proven 500 nm spatial resolution with minimum voxel size <40 nm, providing higher resolution compared to microCTs
ZEISS’s revolutionary RaaD technology, which ensures high resolution as sample sizes increase
Automatic loading, scanning and unloading of identical samples without operator intervention, with capacity for up to 70 samples depending on part size
Automatic transfer of scan results to a separate workstation where a variety of measurements can be executed semi-automatically
No other automated methods exist that can provide repetitive measurement of buried features in advanced IC packages
The ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa RepScan is now available for demonstrations and shipping.
