Object-screen-method for microscopic deformation-measurements

The miniaturisation of integrated circuits causes higher power-densities. The interconnection joining of different materials in microelectronics is related to questions of reliability and quality of these systems. In order to predict the longtime behavior of interconnections under thermal stress, it is indispensable to measure the deformation-dynamics of the interconnections. Thermomechanically induced displacements cause stress and strain in assemblies. The Centrum fuer Mikroverbindungstechnik (CEM) developed a method to determine these displacements in microscopic sample dimensions. The use of a Scanning-Electron-Microscope (SEM) in combination with the Object-Screen-Method (OSM) presents unexpected opportunities to measure displacements in microelectronic interconnections.