Optimizations and Case Studies—Decapsulation of Hardened Epoxy SiC MOSFETs and Diodes via JIACO Microwave Induced Plasma Etching

Abstract One of the foremost challenges in the field of SiC MOSFET failure analysis is the effect of thermally modified mold compound on the decapsulation process. The extended total etch time that thermal modification imposes on the process of wet chemical decapsulation has created a niche for new techniques to fill. This paper focuses on use cases for the JIACO microwave-induced plasma (MIP) etching system and how to best optimize the tool’s settings to facilitate time-efficient decapsulations. The words and data that follow aim to present what has been determined to be a successful alternative for the decapsulation of thermally modified Si and SiC power devices when wet etches prove to be ineffective.