Application of surface analysis to circuitboard manufacturing problems

Abstract

An example of a problem in a critical step during the manufacture of sophisticated circuit boards is discussed in terms of the surface analysis approaches that were used to establish the nature of the problem, understand its origin, and help eliminate it. The critical step concerned is the deposition of the copper circuit lines by lithographic and electroless plating means. The analysis techniques that proved useful were X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM), and Secondary Electron Microscopy (SEM).