XRM University: XRM 301 Using Your X-ray Microscope for Semiconductor & Electronics Applications

Advances in electronics and semiconductor packaging are fueled by consumer demands for greater bandwidth and lower cost in response to market trends of 5G, AI, big data, and autonomous vehicles. The growing adoption of advanced packages to increase the interconnect density results in complex package architectures, new manufacturing challenges, and risks of failures. Furthermore, since the physical fault region is often buried within these complex 3D architectures, conventional methods for visualizing failure locations are becoming less effective. New techniques are required to isolate and determine the root cause of failures whether they occur in packages, batteries, or other electronic components. ZEISS Xradia Versa 3D X-ray microscopes (XRM) are an effective solution for non-destructive visualization and characterization of submicron defects buried within intact 3D packages.

This workshop is an introductory course for users of ZEISS Xradia Versa X-ray microscopes focused on electronics samples. This is a 3-hour workshop with a short break during which participants conduct optional hands-on operation on their own instruments. 

Topics that will be covered in this workshop include: 

• Best practices for sample mounting for electronic devices and packages: selecting the best sample holders and positioning your region of interest or fault within the field of view 
• Scout and Zoom: a multiscale 3D imaging approach to navigate and visualize your region of interest 
• Optimizing scan parameters for data quality and speed: sample rotation angle, drift correction, number of projections, intensity, and high aspect ratio tomography (HART) 
• Optimizing results using manual reconstruction: center shift and beam hardening corrections 

 The attendees are expected to be familiar with the general procedure of setting up tomography scans on Xradia Versa. 

Who should attend?

• XRM users focused on electronic device characterization, semiconductor package development or failure analysis 
• Active users of ZEISS Xradia Versa instruments 
• Infrequent Versa users in need of a refresh on scan setup and optimization 
• Lab managers or technicians looking to improve their own skill level to better support and/or train other users of the instrument 

Learning objectives after completion of this workshop, attendees should:

• Have an improved understanding of best practices for sample and scan setups focused on electronics 
• Improve their parameter selection to optimize the quality and throughput of their Versa scan 
• Be able to efficiently navigate within their sample to accurately target the correct region of interest for high resolution scanning 

This is a paid workshop.​
Spots are limited.​

Access to a ZEISS Xradia Versa system is strongly recommended to apply lessons learned and share results with applications team for further support.​