Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopic Analysis of Surface Contamination

The identification of the nature of surface contaminants is important in designing the corrective actions to prevent the recurrence. Herein, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) were used to analyze oil-like residue on the surface of an IC die. The results indicate that the true source of the oil residue is the ionizer, and eliminated the possibility of compressor oil. Correct identification of the source resulted in the elimination of the contaminant directly from the source.