Edge effect is a common phenomenon observed in Acoustic micro imaging of microelectronic packages. In this paper, using flip chip package geometry as a test vehicle, finite element modelling is carried out to study the fundamental mechanism of the edge effect phenomenon. C-line plot technique is developed for characterisation of edge effects in acoustic C-scan images, in particular solder joint C-scan images. Simulated results are compared to experimental results. Results reveal that edge effect generation is mainly attributed to the under-bump-metallisation structure. In addition, through analysis of the CLine profile of edge effects, the impact of the transducer focal point and the spot size on the edge effect is investigated. Results show that slight off-focus can reduce the severity of the edge effect in which image sharpness is a trade-off.
In acoustic micro imaging of microelectronic packages, edge effect is often presented as artifacts of C-scan images, which may potentially obscure the detection of defects such as cracks and voids in the solder joints. The cause of edge effect is debatable. In this paper, a two-dimensional finite element model is developed on the basis of acoustic micro imaging of a flip-chip package using a 230 MHz focused transducer to investigate acoustic propagation inside the package in attempt to elucidate the fundamental mechanism that causes the edge effect. A virtual transducer is designed in the finite element model to reduce the coupling fluid domain, and its performance is characterised against the physical transducer specification. The numerical results showed that the Under Bump Metallization (UBM) structure inside the package has a significant impact on the edge effect. Simulated wavefields also showed that the edge effect is mainly attributed to the horizontal scatter, which is observed in the interface of silicon die-to-the outer radius of solder bump. The horizontal scatter occurs even for a flip-chip package without the UBM structure.
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