Failure-Free Integrated Circuit Packages

Failure-Free Integrated Circuit Packages is a new book in Charles Harper's Electronic Packaging and Interconnection Series. The subtitle explains further what this book is focusing on, namely the systematic elimination of failures through reliability engineering, failure analysis, and material improvements. The publication makes ample us of illustrations and has the depth and breadth to become a useful quality guide for manufacturers and users of integrated circuit packages. The co-editors Charles Cohn (Agere Systems) and Charles Harper (Technology Seminars, Inc.) have assembled a knowledgeable group of authors, all employees of Agere Systems, many of them bringing a wealth of insight based on their experience with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, the grandparents and parents of Agere Systems. While some might be critical of this book in that it reflects the practices of only one company, the fact is that the book comes from the organization that literately "wrote the books" on quality and reliability that established the high standards in the electronic industry that we have today. The authors of the chapters in this edited book have in-depth, long experience in their individual subjects creating an excellent reference book. Reliability of advanced IC packages is a hot topic more so than ever. The use of brittle low Dk dielectric in the redistribution layers of the IC makes these chips more prone to cracking than ICs with all SiO2 dielectric layers. Better CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) match of all package layers to the low CTE of the IC becomes important, as does the use of buffer or compliant layers. The very fine pitch and tight via spacing on build-up dielectric microvia layers makes these packages more susceptible to CAF (conductive anodic filament) formation. Furthermore, no-lead solders require higher reflow temperatures and thermal management has become critical as thermal densities of ICs approach 100 W/cm2. The book is structured into eight chapters: an introduction and overview, fundamentals of IC package technologies, reliability, physics and chemistry of failures in packaged devices, strategies for locating failures, failure analysis techniques, failure modes common in organic IC packages, and emerging assembly materials for IC packaging. The chapters on strategies for locating failures, failure analysis techniques, and examples of failure modes common in organic IC packages make up the bulk of the book. The Strategies for Locating Failures chapter contains three useful case studies that employ finite element modeling and design of experiments to probe root causes of failures. The Melissa E. Grupen-Shemansky's Introduction provides a good overview and "roadmap" to the chapters in the book. It provides important background for the reader to understand the changes in the industry structure and the issues in insuring a high level of quality and reliability in what has become a complex supply chain. Charles Cohn's chapter on the "Fundamentals of IC Package Technologies" is well done and, while there are some minor historical inaccuracies, provides excellent background on mature as well as emerging technologies useful to both the novice and those experienced in the field. Charles does not assume that the reader is familiar with the alphabet soup of package names, and he carefully explains acronyms when they first appear. The author has subdivided the technologies into four generic types comparing attributes and tradeoffs, physical properties and rankings. ... the chapter is a very good overall summary of packaging technology. Jason P. Goodelle's and John W. Osenbach's chapter on Emerging Assembly Materials for IC Packaging give useful insight in the relationship between chemical structures and chemical and mechanical properties of materials as they impact package reliability. ... The failure analysis chapters are profusely illustrated with charts, graphs and photographs for easy understanding of defects and failure modes. A very effective case study approach is used to lead one through the various steps from problem recognition to fault location to cause and solution. Guideline charts and protocols or strategies for analysis are detailed. The examples of test vehicles for reliability testing and case study examples are most useful for they address issues with large I/O new and advanced package types. ... This book is one that should be a primary reference for anyone involved in IC packaging, Reliability or Quality engineering. CircuiTree Magazine 20050101 Integrated circuit packages are unquestionably the heart of modern electronic assemblies. With the ever-increasing functional density and complexity of these advanced electronic packages, the need to find, identify, and correct potential failures before they occur becomes more and more critical. And the multiple locations, even internationally, required for the complete cycle of design, manufacture, and use of these packages often further complicate the problems of achieving failure-free integrated circuit assemblies. Hence, since integrated circuit packages are so widely used, in their various forms, this just-released new book will be invaluable for the book shelves of most readers of this review. Entirely written by the staff of experienced specialists at Agere Systems (formerly Lucent and AT&T), this book is loaded with practical, real world, illustrations and examples. It could, in fact, well serve as an in-plant guidebook for quality control, failure analysis, and accept-reject criterion. The book is divided into eight well-organized and clearly presented chapters, including descriptions of the various IC packaging technologies, understanding of all of the device reliability factors, physics and chemistry of failures in packaged devices, strategies for locating failures, all of the many failure analysis techniques, clear presentations of all of the many common failure modes, a wide range of examples and case histories, and excellent discussions of the new IC packaging materials, including lead-free solders. This book should be invaluable for most book shelves, and also as an in-plant guidebook for quality and reliability operations. IMAPS (International Microelectronics and Packaging Society) Electronic Bulletin 20041109 ...easy to tell that this is one of the most useful books in the field of IC packaging reliability to come along in some time...If the IDMs and packaging foundries would pass this book out to new engineering hires, it might prevent some of those arduous, litigation-infested dramas that occur as customer and buyer try to plant the blame on each other for packaged ICs that fail in the field, seemingly without reason. ...there is a lot of solid meat-and-potatoes content and very little puffery...topics are fairly all-encompassing and include by chapter title, "Fundamentals of IC Package Technolgoy," "Device Reliability" and "Physics and Chemistry of Failures in Packaged Devices." Chapter 5, "Strategies for Locating Failures" by itself would be worth the modest price of admission. Chip Scale Review 20040901