Horizontal Cracks in PCB Embedded Semiconductor Devices: A Real Problem or a Ghost Hunt?

Horizontal chip cracks have been reported in various scientific publications on PCB embedded power semiconductor devices. This study investigates in detail the root cause of the cracks. Experimental evidence indicates that the chip fractures in the mechanical grinding process during preparation of the cross-sections. Here, two different factors are relevant: First, the mechanical fracture strength of the semiconductor die decreases when grinding its edge. The use of P320 sand paper reduces the characteristic fracture strength from 719 MPa to 211 MPa. Second, the tensile stresses in the chip edge increase considerably when, part of the die and package is removed by grinding. Both effects together result in a failure probability of 100%. The use of finer grain sandpaper for target preparation helps to reduce the probability of generating horizontal chip cracks during cross-sectioning.