Analytics for Power Electronic Components - Methods to figure out root causes of failures

Abstract:
In electronics manufacturing microstructure analysis is required to control the quality of different technological processes and to identify, isolate and analyse root causes of defects and failures. The paper highlights selected methods and new developments in material diagnostics that can provide extended opportunities for material characterization and physical failure analysis in power electronics packaging. Specific focus is given on trends in non-destructive techniques such as x-ray tomography, scanning acoustic microscopy and lock-in thermography. On the other hand, defect diagnostics in critical interfaces needs destructive high resolution analysis such as transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray mapping. To improve the efficiency of high resolution analysis a development of fast but artefact-free target preparation methods will become of high significance that are capable of removing relatively large amounts of packaging materials in short time, e.g. by coupling laser ablation and ion beam milling. The future potential of these trends in microstructure diagnostics is exemplarily discussed with focus on interface and defect analysis such as for silver sintered contacts and thermoplastic encapsulation materials.