Three-dimensional (3D) structure with through silicon via (TSV) technology is emerging as a key issue in microelectronic packaging industry, and electrical reliability has become one of the main technical subjects for the TSV designs. However, criteria used for TSV reliability tests have not been consistent in the literature, so that the criterion itself becomes a technical argument. To this end, this paper first performed several different reliability tests on the testing packaging with TSV chains, then statistically analyzed the experimental data with different failure criteria on resistance increasing, and finally constructed the Weibull failure curves with parameter extractions. After comparing the results, it is suggested that using different criteria may lead to the same failure mode on Weibull analyses, and 65% of failed devices are recommended as a suitable termination for reliability tests.

This paper presents the effect of indium (In) content on the melting temperature, wettabililty, dross formation, and oxidation characteristics of the Sn-2Ag-3Bi-xIn alloy. The melting temperature of the Sn-2Ag-3Bi-xIn alloy (2 ≤ x ≤ 6) was lower than 473 K. The melting range between the solidus and liquidus temperatures was approximately 20 K, irrespective of the indium content. As the indium content increased, the wetting time increased slightly and the maximum wetting force remained to be mostly constant. The dross formation decreased to approximately 50% when adding 1In to Sn-2Ag-3Bi, and no dross formation was observed in the case of Sn-2Ag-3Bi-xIn alloy (x ≥ 1.5) at 523 K for 180 min. Upon approaching the inside of the oxidized solder of the Sn-2Ag-3Bi-1.5In alloy from the surface, the O and In contents decreased and the Sn content increased based on depth profiling analysis using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The mechanism for restraining dross (Sn oxidation) of Sn-2Ag-3Bi alloy with addition of indium may be due to surface segregation of indium. This is due to the lower formation energy of indium oxide than those of Sn oxidation.

Wearout reliability and high temperature storage life (HTSL) activation energy of Au and Pd-coated Cu (PdCu) ball bonds are useful technical information for Cu wire deployment in nanoscale semiconductor device packaging. This paper discusses the influence of wire type on the wearout reliability performance of Au and PdCu wire used in fine pitch BGA package after HTSL stress at various aging temperatures. Failure analysis has been conducted to identify the failure mechanism after HTSL wearout conditions for Au and PdCu ball bonds. Apparent activation energies (Eaa) of both wire types are investigated after HTSL test at 150 °C, 175 °C and 200 °C aging temperatures. Arrhenius plot has been plotted for each ball bond types and the calculated Eaa of PdCu ball bond is 0.85 eV and 1.10 eV for Au ball bond in 110 nm semiconductor device. Obviously Au ball bond is identified with faster IMC formation rate with IMC Kirkendall voiding while PdCu wire exhibits equivalent wearout and or better wearout reliability margin compare to conventional Au wirebond. Lognormal plots have been established and its mean to failure (t) have been discussed in this paper.