The talk will identify some common reliability concerns, and identify some metrology gaps, for 3-D integrated systems. We will introduce a suite of microwave-based Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopic (BDS) techniques and show how these non-destructive metrologies can serve as early warning monitors for reliability issues. These techniques are based on the application of high frequency microwaves, to probe impedance changes due to material and structural changes in integrated circuits under various external stress. For example, we will also discuss the combination of BDS with scanning probe infrastructure to create the Scanning Microwave Microscopy (SMM) technique, which has been used to detect buried artifacts and characterize metallic contacts. We further illustrate the capabilities of the BDS-based techniques with case studies of three potential reliability issues in 3D IC.

We conclude with a forward look at the future metrology and standards needs 3-D interconnects and the associated advanced packaging.