International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey A Haley

George Frederick Walker

Alfred Viehbeck

David Andrew Lewis

Joseph J Van Horn

Susan J LaMaire

Jer-Ming Yang

Yuk L Tsang

Timothy A Redmond

Gavin T Mills

Kathleen S Ginn

Peter E Freiermuth

Clarence S Long

The described invention is directed to microwave methods for burning-in, electrical stressing, thermal stressing and reducing rectifying junction leakage current in fully processed semiconductor chips individually and at wafer level, as well as burning in and stressing semiconductor chip packaging substrates and the combination of a semiconductor chip mounted onto a semiconductor chip packaging substrate. Microwaves burn-in devices in a substantially shorter period of time than conventional burn-in techniques and avoid the need for special workpiece holders which are required by conventional stress and burn-in techniques. Additionally, microwave methods are described for reducing the leakage current of recitfying junctions, such as PN junctions and Schottky barrier diode junctions of semiconductor devices on fully processed semiconductor chips and wafers.

Method and apparatus for stressing, burning in and reducing leakage

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Jeffrey A Haley