Member Image Library

SLI Image Library

This library groups image-centered examples by mechanism so users can compare what they are seeing to documented patterns in electrical overstress, corrosion, fracture, and delamination.

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Image-first interpretation Built to help engineers recognize mechanisms, not just collect figures.

Each entry connects visible evidence to a likely mechanism, with related notes for deeper failure-analysis context.

Browse By Topic

Image groups

The library is organized as a curated set of clear reference images rather than a large, hard-to-navigate archive.

Electrical overstress

EOS examples

IC die-level EOS in an output metallization region
Fused-open bond wire after current overstress
Primary-site interpretation and comparison examples

Corrosion and migration

Corrosion signatures

Bond pad corrosion
Electromigration and dendritic growth
Corrosion and migration at functional contact surfaces

Fracture and cracking

Fracture mechanisms

Via barrel cracking
Vibration-fatigue solder-joint fracture
PCB pad cratering and internal MLCC fracture

Delamination

Interface separation

Lens-to-die delamination at package edge
Thermal de-bonding at the base of an LED cup
Visible interface-failure references

Solder voids

Solder-joint voiding

Large interface voids, surface-open gas voids, and interfacial voiding
Void location, trapped residue, and process adequacy
Supports practical assembly-quality interpretation rather than simple void count

Packaging voids

Internal package voids

Die-attach void associated with later die cracking
Potting void that may change thermal behavior without being sole root cause
Examples for separating contributing conditions from likely root cause

Two Strong EOS Contrasts

One mechanism family, two very different visual outcomes.

The EOS examples show a practical comparison: one image where the damage is concentrated in an IC die region and another where the evidence is concentrated in a fused-open bond wire.

Die-level EOS Metallization context Fused-open bond wire Current overstress evidence Primary site interpretation Mechanism comparison

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Representative image cards

Selected examples show the kind of physical evidence engineers can compare against their own observations.

Electrical overstress

IC die-level EOS

Localized output-region damage with surrounding die geometry still visible.

Electrical overstress

Fused-open bond wire

High-magnification wire-fusion example with melt and resolidification evidence.

Electrical overstress

Primary EOS site in diode

Localized internal damage that teaches primary-site interpretation rather than aftermath only.

Secondary damage

Secondary thermal damage

Visibly dramatic damage that is valuable because it was not the initiating failure.

Corrosion

Copper corrosion product

Mechanism-focused corrosion image at a functionally relevant conductive location.

Corrosion

Bond pad corrosion

Localized die-surface attack at a functionally important bond-pad region.

Migration

Dendritic growth

Classic electromigration image suitable for leakage and shorting discussions.

Migration

Migration on coated surface

Dendritic growth showing that conformal coating does not eliminate leakage risk.

Under-part conductive geometry associated with an ionic leakage path

Contamination

Under-part ionic leakage

Geometry-driven leakage example showing why some contamination failures are context dependent.

$QFN cross-section with acceptable solder joints and no obvious fracture$

Not suspect

QFN joints that look acceptable

Acceptable-looking solder joints can be just as important as obvious defects when narrowing the failure mechanism.

Localized flux residue on a tin-plated lug surface

Not suspect

Flux residue caution

Visible residue that should not automatically be overstated as the failure cause.

Circumferential barrel crack in an open via

Fracture

Open via barrel crack

Clear circumferential barrel-crack example tied to multilayer PWB fabrication quality.

$Probable fatigue fracture origin on a fracture surface$

Fracture

Fatigue fracture origin

Initiation-focused fracture image that helps distinguish origin from broader propagation features.

$Internal fracture through an MLCC capacitor body$

Fracture

Internal MLCC fracture

Internal capacitor crack that directly explains an electrical low-capacitance symptom.

$Lead to solder interface fatigue fracture$

Fracture

Vibration-fatigue fracture

Lead-to-solder interface fracture associated with vibration-driven failure.

$Interfacial fracture at a BGA pad on ball A1$

Interfacial fracture

BGA interfacial fracture

Pad-interface fracture image that is distinct from PCB pad cratering and easier to teach cleanly.

$Interfacial fracture adjacent to a large solder void$

Interfacial fracture

Interfacial fracture next to void

Large nearby voids can influence which interface becomes the preferred fracture path.

$Clean interfacial fracture at the solder to nickel-plating boundary$

Interfacial fracture

Clean nickel-interface fracture

Clean interface-following fracture without the distractions of a mixed or more complex case.

Fracture

PCB pad cratering

Board-bending damage at a BGA interconnect with a strong pad-cratering signature.

Delamination

Lens-to-die delamination

Clean interface-separation example with a clear, easy-to-identify boundary.

Large void at the ball to BGA pad interface in a solder joint

Solder voids

BGA interface void

Large solder-joint void at a critical interface rather than dispersed bulk porosity.

Gas voids open to the solder surface near the joint boundary

Solder voids

Surface-open gas voids

Reference for showing that void morphology and location matter more than a simple void percentage.

Large solder void containing entrapped material

Solder voids

Large void with entrapped residue

Combines voiding and residue interpretation in one image instead of treating them as separate questions.

Very large void directly adjacent to the interface

Solder voids

Large interface-adjacent void

Shows local support loss and stress concentration at a meaningful interface location.

Interfacial voids at the solder to nickel plating boundary

Solder voids

Interfacial voiding at nickel interface

Interfacial-microstructure example because the voiding is concentrated at the interface rather than in random bulk porosity.

Residual gold plating at the solder interface with supporting EDS

Interfacial microstructure

Residual gold plating at interface

The key issue is interfacial development and process adequacy, not a visually dramatic crack or burn site.

Delamination

Bondline delamination

Clear separation image tied to incomplete adhesive fill at the bondline.

Thermal damage and de-bonding of lens material at the base of an LED cup

Delamination

LED cup de-bonding

Thermally driven interface separation at a different LED-package boundary.

Large void in a die-attach region under a diode die

Packaging voids

Die-attach void

Packaging void tied to local support loss and later die-cracking risk.

Large potting void directly under an LED location

Packaging voids

Potting void under LED

Internal package void that may matter because it changes local thermal conditions.

Inside the library

What image entries include

Observed feature and likely mechanism
Interpretation notes for engineering review and internal training
Links to related notes and failure-mode entries
Watermarked outward-facing image assets

Best use

How teams use it

Train engineers to recognize recurring patterns
Improve internal hypothesis quality before escalation
Support reports, presentations, and customer communication
Pair with consulting when a live case needs direct interpretation

Working Model

Use the image library to recognize patterns. Use consulting to interpret a live case.

The image library is strongest when it helps your team get closer to the right mechanism quickly. When the case still needs judgment, context, and written interpretation, move to a focused SEM Lab review.

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