1. RESULTS OF IPFA 2012
“ART OF FAILURE ANALYSIS”
PHOTO CONTEST
TOP 12 Entries

2. 1st PRIZE
“PEOPLE ON THE BEACH”
by Lim Saw Sing, Infineon Technologies, Kulim Malaysia
Polyimide surface after expose to reactive ion etching and sputter coating prior to SEM
imaging create an art effect resembling “many people on a beach”.

3. 2nd PRIZE
“WINGS”
by Foo Fang Jie, Advanced Micro Devices
During fracture analysis of a silicon sample, the crack origin was identified at a series
of chevron marks. These marks resemble a pair of wings, reminding the analyst that
the sky is the limit, at work and in life.

4. 3rd PRIZE
“THE HOPE TERRACE”
by Tan Lee Koon
This is a SEM picture of wafer-edge chipping. It gives a terrace image – step-like
spectacular landforms overlooking many prospects.

5. Mysterious Jungle
by Lim Chan Way, Infineon Technologies, Kulim Malaysia
This SEM image results from the adhesion between a carbon tape (bottom) and a
membrane structure (top).

6. Happy Frog
by Lee Chee Hiong, Systems-on-Silicon Manufacturing Co.
This is a SEM image showing a “happy frog”. It has helped us complete the process .
Now it is standing on the passivation layer looking forward to the next challenge.

7. Silver Sulfide Crystals
by Amy Ng & Angelina Lau, Micron Technology
This is a SEM image of silver sufide, Ag2S growth on a resistor network causing the
resistance of the component to increase and eventually resulting in an „open signal‟.

8. Lunar Eclipse
by Joel B. Hosmillo; Analog Devices
An optical image (dark field) of a capacitor in a 400 Hz low-pass filter, damaged by
electrostatic discharge (ESD).

9. Big Nose
by Wu Xing & Pey Kin Leong;
Singapore University of Design and Technology
The specimen was a resistive switching memory device consisting of Ni/HfO2/Si. The
sample was subjected to electrical stressing while being monitored by a high
resolution TEM in situ. The heat generated was so huge that the sample melted down.
The resultant image resembles a face with two ting eyes and a big nose.

10. The Royal Elephant
by Jacqueline Kwa, Advanced Micro Devices
TEM lamella preparation on a silicon sample created this image of an elephant
decorated with headdress, getting ready to usher in the king.

11. Tortoise
by Nurhanani; Infineon Technologies, Kulim Malaysia
This is a SEM image of a particle embedded in a metal layer, resembling that of a
tortoise at the water surface.

12. Long-Tail Kangaroo
by Jun Faith Rodrigo, Analog Devices
This is a FESEM image showing a foreign material on the heat sink of a MEMS
package. The image looks like the silhouette of a kangaroo with a long tail.

13. Fist of Victory
by Khoo Bing Sheng; WinTech Nano-Technology
Raise your right arm and give a fist of victory. That is the effect of this picture
captioned “Fist of Victory – 必勝”, showing the nano fabrication capability of a FIB
(Focused Ion Beam). The base material used is Copper.