Acoustic and photoacoustic inspection of through-silicon vias in the GHz-frequency band

Through Silicon Via (TSV) is the most promising technology for vertical interconnection in novel three-dimensional chip architectures. Reliability and quality assessment necessary for process development and manufacturing require appropriate non-destructive testing techniques to detect cracks and delamination defects with sufficient penetration and imaging capabilities. The current paper presents the application of two acoustically based methods operating in the GHz-frequency band for the assessment of the integrity of TSV structures.