| Semiconductor wafer bonding has been identified as an enabling technology for a wide variety of applications. Even as bonding is being conducted in specialized cleanroom environments, very small particles are difficult to eliminate. These trapped defects may result in high residual stresses at a bonded interface, which can alter device performance and durability. In this dissertation, the infrared grey field polariscope (IR-GFP) is introduced as a rapid, full-field technique for inspecting bonded semiconductor devices. The IR-GFP utilizes the residual stress field associated with trapped particles and gases to locate these defects.;Several experimental test samples were fabricated using anodic, fusion, and adhesive bonding techniques and, in each, the IR-GFP is able to locate trapped particles and bubbles at an order of magnitude lower magnification than required using infrared transmission (IRT) imaging. For the first time, a trapped particle can be differentiated from a trapped gas bubble. Single side polished wafers, which are difficult to inspect reliably with IRT imaging, presented no barrier for this inspection technique. Additional residual stress fields generated by sources other than trapped particles and gasses are detected and quantified, including; etched cavities on the bonded interfaces, the formation of time dependent debond growth in fusion bonded devices during the annealing cycle, and stress variations that arise from geometric surface waviness at the bond interface.;A finite element model for trapped particles at bonded interfaces has been developed to rationalize the experimentally measured stress fields. This model includes a more complete description of the interfacial bonding mechanics than closed form thin plate models and is structured so that variables such as particle geometry and bond energy can be investigated. Results from this model indicate that the spatial extents of the stress field associated with trapped defects may be two orders of magnitude larger than the debond region, which explains the improved resolution of the IR-GFP technique.*.;*This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Micrsoft Office; Windows MediaPlayer or RealPlayer. |
