Silicon Photonic Failure Analysis Using Near Infrared Microscopy

Abstract This article discusses the application of near infrared (IR) microscopy in silicon photonic failure analysis. It explains how this technique helps isolate unexpected light losses in photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The paper outlines the experimental setup for IR microscopy and presents three case studies demonstrating its effectiveness: detecting packaging failures through comparative analysis with known good samples; identifying in-operation failures, particularly permanent damage in silicon-based spot size converters due to two-photon absorption at high power levels; and locating yield detractors in optical paths.