Residual carbon detection in ceramic substrates by a nuclear reaction technique

Abstract

In high-performance microelectronic packaging technology, multilayer ceramic substrates are used as multiple chip carriers by most of the mainframe computer manufacturers. Depending on the processing steps employed in the technology, varying amounts of carbon may be left in the substrates, which can adversely affect their electrical and mechanical properties, even at parts-per-million (ppm) levels. Of various methods capable of detecting trace carbon in ceramic materials, we investigated the technique based on a nuclear reaction, namely, the (d, p) reaction for 12C. © 1990.