Non-destructive identification of defects in integrated circuit packages by scanning acoustic microscopy

Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) has emerged as a powerful tool for the detection of defects in ceramic or plastic packaged integrated circuits. At the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research, we have been using SAM to identify packaging and/or assembly related defects across a broad spectrum of integrated circuit packages. In many cases, it has been the only technology available that is capable of quickly and non-destructively determining the precise failure mode, such as delamination.