Failure Analysis: What is the Problem?

摘要

Most of ISTFA is devoted to failure analysis techniques and how they apply to new, more complex devices. That focus is necessary because electronic devices rapidly evolve and challenge existing tools and methods. We have pushed the limits of every tool to physically isolate defects or anomalies associated with failures. There is little time or interest for stepping back to understand the general dimensions of failure analysis. As far as I know, the anatomy of a failure analysis has never been explicitly addressed at any ISTFA. During the ISTFA 2012 Case Histories I session, I was pleased to see papers that demonstrated a solid understanding of failure analysis as a special category of problem solving. Problem solving in general has been extensively studied, and problem-solving techniques are highly refined. The techniques apply fully to failure analysis. A problem is defined in four dimensions: what, when, where, and how many. All four dimensions of a failure are important; no single dimension is sufficient, and any one dimension can be the key.