Patent ID: 6709888
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G01N,G01R,H01L

Abstract:
A method of decapsulating a packaged copper-technology integrated circuit, comprising:mounting the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit in an etcher for removing a portion of an encapsulant surrounding the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit; heating a portion of the etcher to a first temperature that is approximately sixty degrees Centigrade or less to raise a temperature of the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit; mixing fuming nitric acid with fuming sulfuric acid in a ratio from at least three to one to no more than six to one parts fuming nitric acid to fuming sulfuric acid to form an etching mixture; heating the etching mixture to a second temperature that is approximately sixty degrees Centigrade or less to form a heated etching mixture; applying the heated etching mixture to the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit to expose copper circuit portions of the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit; and removing the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit from the etcher and cleaning the packaged copper-technology integrated circuit.