Construction analysis is a customized sequence of applicable analytical techniques to evaluate the inherent design and robustness of a component or assembly. A well executed Construction Analysis examines and documents the physical characteristics including material elemental composition, dimensions and quality details of the assembly. This testing methodology was originally created to assess commercial electronic components, i.e. plastic non-hermetic packages, but can be applied to virtually any manufactured product. Each analysis employs a series of non-destructive and destructive tests appropriate for the product type.

In addition to assessing the overall quality and workmanship
of a component, this service can effectively be used to:
° Identify and monitor process changes.
° Identify deviations from contractual requirements.
° Benchmark your product relative to your competitor's product.
° Identify anomalies/defects and possible causes and ramifications.

A typical Construction Analysis program involves:

For Packaging Analysis

° External Visual Inspection... to assess overall exterior quality and workmanship and    dimensional analysis.

° Real Time X-Ray Inspection... to nondestructively detect internal defects with void analysis.

° Particle Impact Noise Detection... to detect loose particles inside a device cavity.

° Acoustic Microscopy (SAM)... to nondestructively assess quality of construction material    adhesion at interfaces.

° Hermeticity and Internal Vapor Analysis... to quantify package integrity and internal     atmosphere. These test methods may be used to gauge the susceptibility of a device to     moisture-related failures triggered by poor sealing processes or internal post-seal     outgassing.

° Dye Impregnation and cross-sectional analysis... to detect for moisture ingress pathways    in PEMS and other suitable components.

° Decapsulation of PEMS by Fuming Acids.

For IC Fabrication Analysis

° Internal Visual Inspection via Optical Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy    (SEM)... to evaluate the quality of passivation, metallization and other die related    components.

° Glassivation Layer Integrity... to assess the structural quality of deposited dielectric films    over aluminum metallized devices.

° Bond Strength/Bond Shear... to measure wire bond strengths and evaluate bond strength    distributions.

° Die Shear Strength...to determine the integrity of materials and procedures used to attach    die or surface mounted passive elements to package headers or other substrates.

° Plasma and Wet Chemical Deprocessing...for sequential unlayering of ICs.

° Die Level Cross-sectional analysis with Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEI    SEM)... For high magnification inspection of IC layers.

Construction Analysis does not require depositions as pass/fail criteria inherent to and at times limited by DPA procedures. However, military and commercial standards may be applied to defects to quantify the severity of the condition. Construction Analysis can detect Packaging or IC level concerns that relate to the future reliability of the component.