Failure mechanisms in semiconductor memory circuits

This tutorial will describe the physical failure mechanisms that commonly occur in memory and other microcircuits. There will be a general introduction to reliability concepts and definitions. The tutorial will follow a physics of failure approach, emphasizing cause and cure, rather than a statistical reliability. Many of the failure mechanisms affecting memories are general to other microcircuits as well. The failure mechanisms will be split into three areas. Failures of the assembly and packaging, failures of the interconnects and the remainder of the die, and failures of the transistors.