PCB & Electronics Testing
Locate overheating components, short circuits, leakage paths, high-resistance connections and unexpected power dissipation across operating circuit boards.
Semiconductor, PCB & Electronics Failure Analysis
SWIR & Thermal Microscopy for Semiconductor and Electronics Inspection
Use two complementary imaging methods to answer two different failure-analysis questions: What is hidden beneath the surface? and Where is electrical energy becoming heat? Pembroke Instruments supplies SWIR microscope solutions for through-silicon and subsurface inspection, plus thermal microscope systems for localized temperature mapping of powered electronics.
- SWIR microscopy: inspect silicon wafers, dies, bonded interfaces, MEMS, TSVs and semiconductor packages.
- Thermal microscopy: locate PCB hot spots, leakage paths, short circuits, abnormal power dissipation and thermal gradients.
- Combined workflow: correlate internal structure with operating temperature behavior to accelerate root-cause analysis.
- Application support: define field of view, magnification, working distance, optics, illumination, camera and integration requirements.
Configurable SWIR microscope platform for wafer, die, MEMS, bonded-interface and package inspection.
Through-Silicon ImagingReveal selected structures and defects hidden from visible cameras
Temperature MappingVisualize hot spots and localized heating while devices operate
Microscope-Scale InspectionConfigure magnification, field of view and working distance
Application IntegrationOptics, illumination, positioning, software and camera selection
Two Imaging Modes, Different Information
Choose the Microscopy Technique Based on What You Need to See
Visible microscopy is often the starting point, but it cannot provide every answer. SWIR and thermal microscopy extend inspection in different directions: SWIR can reveal selected subsurface structures through silicon, while thermal imaging converts temperature distribution into a spatial map of circuit or device behavior.
SWIR Microscopy
See Internal Structure Through Silicon
Silicon strongly absorbs visible light but becomes substantially more transmissive at suitable near-infrared and SWIR wavelengths. With appropriate optics and illumination, InGaAs SWIR cameras can support non-destructive inspection of structures and defects that may be hidden beneath the surface.
- Silicon wafer inspection
- Die and IC inspection
- Wafer bonding and bonded interfaces
- Flip-chip and advanced packaging
- MEMS and TSV analysis
- Cracks, voids, contamination and alignment errors
Thermal Microscopy
See Where Electrical Energy Becomes Heat
A thermal microscope shows temperature distribution rather than visible structure. On powered boards and devices, it can quickly identify abnormal heating and guide electrical probing or deeper failure analysis toward the most likely problem area.
- PCB hot-spot localization
- Overheating ICs and power devices
- Short circuits and leakage paths
- Abnormal power dissipation
- Thermal gradients and poor heat spreading
- Transient and intermittent thermal signatures
Thermal Microscope Spotlight
High-Magnification Thermal Imaging for PCB, IC and Semiconductor Analysis
Thermal microscopy adds quantitative temperature information to small-area inspection. Instead of showing only physical structure, it maps where heat is generated, how it spreads, and how a device changes as power, load or operating conditions change.
Pembroke Instruments can configure a complete thermal microscope system around the sample and test requirement. A typical platform combines a 640 × 512 LWIR thermal camera, macro or microscope optics, vertical mounting, a sample translation stage, an optical breadboard and radiometric analysis software.
- Non-contact inspection: measure temperature without touching delicate boards, wafers, coatings or devices.
- Radiometric data: collect temperature information at every image pixel, not just a qualitative thermal picture.
- Fine thermal detail: approximately 20 µm spatial resolution for IC/PCB imaging, depending on optics, working distance and setup.
- Wide measurement capability: typical configured range from -20°C to +550°C.
- Dynamic testing: compare startup, idle and load conditions and follow changing hot spots over time.
- Electrical correlation: software can synchronize thermal curves with voltage and current measurements.
640 × 512LWIR sensor format
~20 µmTypical IC/PCB spatial resolution, setup dependent
-20°C to +550°CTypical configured measurement range
RadiometricTemperature data for every image pixel
Expanded Thermal Microscopy Applications
Where Microscopic Temperature Differences Reveal the Problem
Thermal microscopy is useful whenever a small heat source, gradient or transient temperature change provides a clue to performance, manufacturing quality or failure mechanism.
Semiconductor Failure Analysis
Identify localized heating, leakage current, package-related thermal behavior and temperature non-uniformity in ICs and semiconductor devices.
Power Electronics
Analyze heating in power devices, regulators, MOSFETs, connectors and thermal-management structures under controlled load conditions.
Solar Cell Inspection
Look for hot spots, shunts, non-uniform heating and other thermal signatures associated with defective photovoltaic cells and materials.
Materials Research
Measure thermal behavior in coatings, films, composites, microstructures and phase-change materials where conventional thermal cameras lack enough spatial detail.
Photonics & Laser Testing
Evaluate absorption-induced heating, optoelectronic components, laser-exposed materials and package-level thermal effects.
Complete Thermal Microscope Configuration
Camera, Optics, Stage and Software Work as One Measurement System
A microscope application cannot be specified from sensor resolution alone. Sample size, target feature size, working distance, optics, stage geometry, temperature range and analysis workflow all determine whether the system will resolve the thermal behavior that matters.
- LWIR camera: 640 × 512 sensor format for detailed thermal imaging.
- Optics: standard configurations can include a 50 mm macro lens, with objective options for different fields of view and working distances.
- Mechanical platform: vertical mounting, optical breadboard and sample translation stage support repeatable positioning.
- Radiometric software: record full thermal video, analyze temperature curves and compare behavior over time.
- Synchronized measurements: correlate thermal data with voltage and current during device operation.
What Pembroke Needs to Recommend a Thermal Microscope
For the fastest application review, provide the sample dimensions, smallest hot spot or feature of interest, required field of view, available working distance, expected temperature range and whether the device will be powered during inspection.
If electrical data must be synchronized with the thermal measurement, include the voltage/current test workflow as well.
PCB and IC-level thermal detail: use calibrated targets and real device imagery to verify that the optics and field of view provide enough spatial resolution for the feature being investigated.
Technique Selection
SWIR, Thermal—or Both?
| Inspection Question | Best Starting Technique | What It Can Add |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a crack, void, interface defect or structure beneath silicon? | SWIR microscopy | Non-destructive subsurface contrast through silicon at suitable wavelengths. |
| Which component or region is overheating on a powered PCB? | Thermal microscopy | Full-field visualization of localized temperature rise and thermal gradients. |
| Is a bonded interface aligned or complete? | SWIR microscopy | Inspection of selected bonded layers, air gaps, voids and alignment problems. |
| Is a suspect IC dissipating more power than expected? | Thermal microscopy | Comparison of heating behavior under startup, idle or controlled load. |
| Do I need to correlate an internal feature with abnormal heating? | Use both | SWIR provides structural information; thermal microscopy provides operating temperature behavior. |
| Where should I probe electrically or inspect more closely? | Thermal first, then targeted inspection | Thermal imaging can identify where to look first; SWIR or visible microscopy can then examine structure at that location. |
Primary Applications
Microscopy Applications Across Semiconductors, PCBs and Electronics
Silicon Wafer & Die Inspection
Inspect wafers and dies for cracks, edge damage, selected internal non-uniformities and structures that may be obscured in visible imaging.
Bonding, MEMS & TSV Analysis
Investigate bonded interfaces, voids, air gaps, channels, cavities, alignment and through-silicon structures using microscope optics and controlled SWIR illumination.
Advanced Packaging
Support non-destructive inspection of internal package features and selected defects where visible access is blocked by silicon or package construction.
PCB Hot-Spot Location
Identify localized heating around ICs, regulators, MOSFETs, resistors, connectors, traces and other board-level components.
Shorts, Leakage & Power Dissipation
Use abnormal or unexpected heating as a fast visual clue to electrical faults, excessive power dissipation or localized current paths.
Device & Component Characterization
Observe temperature response in semiconductor devices, LEDs, sensors, resistors, microelectronics and other components under controlled operating conditions.
See the Applications
SWIR and Thermal Microscopy in Practice
SWIR Semiconductor Inspection
Explore SWIR imaging for wafer, die, package and through-silicon inspection.
Thermal Microscopy for Electronics
Visualize temperature distribution across PCBs, components, semiconductor devices and small samples during troubleshooting and failure analysis.
Combined Failure-Analysis Workflow
Use Each Imaging Method Where It Adds the Most Information
For complex semiconductor or electronics problems, a combined workflow can reduce trial-and-error by first locating the problem spatially, then examining the relevant structure or interface in greater detail.
Define the Failure
Document the sample, suspected feature size, operating condition, required field of view and whether the issue is structural, thermal or both.
Locate Abnormal Behavior
For powered electronics, thermal microscopy can identify hot spots, asymmetry, abnormal gradients or unexpected temperature rise.
Inspect Hidden Structure
Where silicon blocks visible access, use SWIR microscopy to examine selected subsurface features, interfaces, cracks, voids or alignment.
Correlate & Confirm
Use the imaging results to guide electrical measurements, component inspection, design changes, rework or deeper root-cause analysis.
Pembroke Microscopy Solutions
Products and Configurations for SWIR and Thermal Inspection
SWIR Microscope Systems
Custom microscope configurations for wafer, die, MEMS, TSV and bonded-interface inspection.
- Selectable field of view
- Fixed or zoom magnification
- Co-axial, LED or laser illumination
- Manual or motorized positioning
High-Resolution SWIR Cameras
SenS 1920 and SenS 1280 cameras provide high spatial sampling for detailed inspection and microscope integration.
- SenS 1920: 1920 × 1080, 8 µm pixels
- SenS 1280: 1280 × 1024, 10 µm pixels
- 900-1700 nm InGaAs response
- Multiple camera configurations
Thermal Imaging Microscopes
Configured LWIR microscope systems for quantitative temperature mapping of PCBs, ICs, semiconductor devices and small materials samples.
- 640 × 512 LWIR sensor format
- Approximately 20 µm IC/PCB spatial resolution, setup dependent
- Macro and objective lens options
- Radiometric video plus electrical synchronization options
Define the Complete Imaging Requirement
Information That Helps Pembroke Recommend the Right System
- Sample type: wafer, die, package, PCB, component or material.
- Smallest feature or hot spot: the smallest area that must be resolved or localized.
- Field of view: full device, package region, board section or microscope-scale area.
- Working distance and clearance: available space above the sample and any fixture constraints.
- For SWIR: silicon thickness, wavelength/illumination constraints and transmission or reflection geometry.
- For thermal: expected temperature range, operating state, startup/load conditions and transient behavior.
- Integration: camera interface, triggering, software, positioning and existing optical/mechanical hardware.
System Performance Depends on More Than the Camera
For SWIR, wavelength, lens transmission, magnification, working distance, sample construction and illumination geometry affect contrast and detectability. For thermal microscopy, field of view, working distance, operating condition and the size of the thermal feature determine whether the measurement is useful. Pembroke can help define the complete imaging configuration rather than selecting a camera in isolation.
Pembroke Application Support
Move from a Sample Problem to a Working Microscopy Setup
Pembroke Instruments can help evaluate resolution, field of view, pixel size, camera sensitivity, cooling, optics, illumination, working distance, magnification, filters, positioning, software and mechanical integration. The goal is to configure the imaging method around the inspection problem—not force the application around a camera specification.