Capturing 2D X-ray images from various angles
Reconstructed into a 3D shape using an algorithm
Provides the advantage of non-destructive defect location identification


As microfabrication processes face their limits, semiconductor packaging no longer spreads sideways but stacks vertically. 2D has become 3D. Therefore, defect analysis must also support not only 2D but also 3D.
On the 23rd, Zeiss announced three high-resolution 3D X-ray image processing solutions for failure analysis (FA) of advanced semiconductor packages, including 2.5/3D and Fan-Out Wafer Level Package (FoWLP).

The three new products are the Xradia 600-series Versa, used for sub-micron and nano-package FA work, the Xradia 800 Ultra X-ray Microscope (XRM), and the new Xradia Context microCT.

By adding these products to its existing product line, Zeiss has come to offer a vast portfolio of 3D X-ray image processing technologies for the semiconductor industry.


Advanced packaging technology requiring new FA techniques
As CMOS process downsizing nodes approach their limits, the semiconductor industry has needed packaging technology that helps bridge the performance gap of semiconductors.

To continue producing smaller, faster, and lower-power semiconductors, the semiconductor industry is introducing various innovative packaging techniques, including 3D stacking of chips. This makes package structures increasingly complex. Furthermore, it creates new manufacturing challenges and increases the likelihood of package defects.

Since the physical location where defects occur is often buried within complex 3D structures, existing techniques for visualizing defect locations are becoming increasingly ineffective. This is why new technologies are needed in advanced packaging to effectively block and identify the source of defects.

To meet these requirements of the semiconductor industry, Zeiss has developed a new 3D X-ray image processing solution capable of displaying the functions and defects contained within the intact structure of advanced 3D packages in sub-micron and nano 3D images.
The principle of the new solution is to rotate the sample to capture various 2D X-ray images at multiple angles, and then reconstruct the 3D shape using sophisticated mathematical models and algorithms. It is possible to view virtual cross-sections of a 3D object from countless angles, providing the advantage of being able to identify the location of defects in a non-destructive manner before attempting Physical Failure Analysis (PFA).

By combining Zeiss’s new sub-micron and nano-scale XRM solutions, the FA success rate can be significantly increased with Zeiss’s unique FA workflow.

Xradia Context MicroCT utilizes projection-based geometric magnification technology to provide high contrast and resolution across a wide field of view, and can also be fully upgraded to Xradia Versa.


Xradia 600 Series Versa
Xradia 600 Series Versa is a next-generation 3D XRM instrument that visualizes local defects inside intact semiconductor packages in a non-destructive manner.
Designed based on the Versa platform, this product delivers performance in structural and FA applications for process development, yield improvement, and structural analysis, and supports RaaD (Resolution at a Distance) functionality.

Based on these characteristics, the Xradia 600 Series Versa provides excellent performance in displaying high-resolution images of large samples from a distance, enabling the identification of the root causes of defects and failures in packages, PCBs, and 300mm wafers.nbsp;

This equipment makes it easy to visually identify defects related to package-level failures, such as cracks in general bumps or microbumps, solder wetting issues, or TSV (Through Silicon Via) voids.

Visualizing defects in 3D before attempting PFA can reduce artifacts and specify the cross-sectional orientation, ultimately increasing the FA success rate. In addition to this, it includes the following features.

▲ Spatial resolution of 0.5µm and a minimum voxel size of 40nm ▲ Achieves up to twice the productivity of the 'Xradia 500 Series Versa' while maintaining high resolution ▲ Improved ease of use, such as high-speed active source control ▲ Can visualize small structural changes inside the package at various stages of product life cycle testing.


Xradia 800 Ultra
Xradia 800 Ultra supports 3D XRM for nano-regions, generating images of features embedded in a package with nano-sized spatial resolution while preserving the volume integrity of the area to be verified.
This equipment can be used for process analysis, structural analysis, and defect analysis of ultrafine pitch flip-chip and bump connections to improve the process of ultrafine pitch packages and BEOL (back-end-of-line).

Xradia 800 Ultra can also visualize the texture and volume of solder consumed by intermetallic compounds inside fine-pitch copper pillar microbumps. Since the defective parts are preserved as they are during visualization, subsequent analysis using various techniques is possible.

The structural quality of blind assemblies, such as wafer-to-wafer bonding interconnects or direct hybrid bonding, can also be characterized in 3D. In addition to this, it includes the following features.

▲150 nm and 50 nm spatial resolution ▲Optical picosecond (ps) laser sample preparation tool, capable of extracting an intact volume sample (typically 100 µm in diameter) within one hour ▲Compatible with a wide range of options for subsequent analysis such as electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and nanoprobing.


Xradia Context MicroCT
Xradia Context MicroCT is a new sub-micron resolution 3D X-ray microCT system based on the Versa platform. The new product is designed to perform high-resolution image processing inspection of packages with high efficiency at close range.
The features of the product are as follows.

▲ Wide field of view for full-field image processing of large samples (10 times larger volume than the Xradia Versa XRM system) ▲ Detector supporting high-speed 6-megapixel density with small pixel sizes maintains high resolution even with a wide field of view ▲ MicroCT X-ray supporting 0.95µm spatial resolution and a minimum voxel size of 0.5µm ▲ Excellent image quality and contrast ▲ Field compatibility with Xradia Versa enables RaaD functionality and high-resolution image processing of intact large samples

Dr. Raj Jammy, President of Zeiss Process Control Solutions (PCS) and Carl Zeiss SMT, Inc., stated, “Packages are becoming smaller in three dimensions than ever before,” adding, “to boost packaging yields "A new image processing solution capable of rapidly blocking defects has become necessary," he said.

“ZEISS is very pleased to announce three new 3D X-ray image processing solutions for advanced semiconductor packaging,” the company stated. “These three products provide a powerful high-resolution toolset that enables ZEISS customers to further increase their FA success rates.”

Zeiss plans to showcase its latest microscope products and solutions for semiconductor manufacturing, including the Xradia 600 Series Versa, Xradia 800 Ultra, and Xradia Context MicroCT systems, at Semicon Korea, which will be held at COEX from the 23rd to the 25th.

You can check information about new products by visiting the Zeiss booth (D520).