Localization of sensitive areas of power AC switch under thermal laser stimulation

Thermal laser stimulation (TLS) is a widely used tool in a failure analysis laboratory to detect defects in integrated circuits. TLS can also be used for good device characterization. In this paper, we apply TLS – and especially optical beam induced resistance change (OBIRCH) method – to localization of electrically high stressed areas. We test this process with a new product from power AC switch family without failure. We localize several sensitive areas involved during and after switching, which are similar to the ones obtained by electrical simulations.