High Resolution Thermal Imaging of Integrated Circuits

Abstract

AbstractThermoreflectance is an non contact optical method using the local reflectivity variations induced by heating to infer temperature mappings, and can be conducted at virtually any wavelength. In the visible, the technique is now well established. It can probe temperatures through several micrometers of transparent encapsulation layers, with sub-micron spatial resolution and 100 mK thermal resolution. In the ultraviolet range, dielectric encapsulation layers are opaque and thermoreflectance gives access to the surface temperature. In the near infrared, thermoreflectance is an interesting solution to examine chips turned upside down, since these wavelengths can penetrate through silicon substrates and give access to the temperature of the active layers themselves. Here, we explore the possibilities of each wavelength range and detail the CCD-based thermal imaging tools dedicated to the high resolution inspection of integrated circuits.