Liquid-crystal technique for observing integrated-circuit operation

1 October 1974

journal article
Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

Vol. 21 (10) , 650-652
https://doi.org/10.1109/T-ED.1974.17985

Abstract

A nondestructive technique has been developed that enables both the electric fields and temperature distributions at the surface of an operating integrated circuit to be viewed with conventional optical microscopes. Packaged chips or unscribed wafers are coated with a nematic liquid-crystal layer and operated in their normal fashion. Practical preparation and observation procedures have been developed.

Keywords

OPTICAL
LIQUID CRYSTAL
CIRCUIT
NEMATIC
CHIPS
NONDESTRUCTIVE
WAFERS
PACKAGED