DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS ON ELECTRONIC MICROCIRCUIT SUBSTRATES BY LASER SPARK EMISSION-SPECTROSCOPY

Laser spark emission spectroscopy is used to determine the elemental composition of contaminants found on electronic microcircuits fabricated on alumina substrates. This technique is particularly useful for rapid analyses of dielectric surfaces, and spatially resolved data with some degree of depth profiling information are obtained. Two specific examples are given which illustrate the utility of the method in pinpointing production problems.