A novel damage test evaluation of IC bond pad stack strength

A novel damage test method is presented, to examine the mechanical strength or behavior of an Integrated Circuit (IC) bond pad stack. A micro-mechanical tester is employed for an indentation test where quasi-static load is applied on the IC bond pad. Any damage or cracking can be detected by the acoustic emission (AE) sensor system placed underneath the IC chip. This methodology provides an in-depth understanding of the damage mechanics and emergence in a complex structure as in the IC chip bond pad stack. As a consequence, weak designs or mechanically inferior layouts can be identified and avoided.