Destructive and Non-Destructive Analysis Techniques for Failure Detection of QFN Packages

One of the latest developments in packaging technology is the QFN (Quad Flat Non-Lead) packages, which is both a chip scale package and plastic encapsulated package with lead pad at the bottom. In this paper, different type of commercial QFN single die packages were characterized by using destructive and non-destructive techniques. Non-destructive techniques such as Scanning Acoustic Microscope (SAM) and X-Ray analysis were used to observe package cracking, delamination and other failure mode. Application of SAM include detection of delaminations between lead frame, die face, paddle, heat sink, cracks and plastic encapsulant. In comparison to other techniques, SAM is sensitive to detect beneath the surface of devices which would be inaccessible otherwise by both conventional optical and electron microscopy inspection methods. Destructive technique such as Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was implemented to address the failures of the QFN single die packages such as die cracking, lifted ball bonds and other failure mode.