Includes
What you will find here
- Existing SEM Lab papers in PDF form
- Technical papers on recurring engineering topics
- Selected archive papers with continuing technical relevance
Papers
Technical Papers
SEM Lab technical papers are stand-alone PDF resources for engineers and technical teams who want a deeper treatment of a defined failure-analysis topic.
Stand-alone references
Built for deeper topic coverage when one document is the right format.
Each paper gives engineers a focused reference they can read, save, and share without subscribing to the full member library.
Best fit
Use papers when
- You want one self-contained reference on one defined subject
- You do not need broader ongoing library access
- You want a deeper treatment than a short note or image entry
Boundary
What papers do not do
- They do not interpret your specific case
- They do not replace a structured consulting review
- They do not replace broader searchable member access
Use Papers
When one defined document is enough.
- Buy one paper without subscribing
- Get a deeper stand-alone reference on one topic
- Store and circulate a PDF internally
Use Membership
When search and cross-linking matter more.
- Search across reports, notes, images, and failure modes
- Compare several related topics
- Use the library as an ongoing reference base
Catalog
Technical paper catalog
Papers are priced at $5 per PDF page and can be purchased individually.
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Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Intermetallics in Solder Joints
A stand-alone PDF on solder-joint intermetallic compounds, including Cu-Sn, Ni-Sn, Au-Sn, and Ag-Sn systems, with practical discussion of interfacial microstructure and gold embrittlement.
- Approximate length: 9 pages
- Best fit: solder-joint and IMC interpretation
- Reference for manufacturing, reliability, and failure-analysis work
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Failure Analysis of LEDs
A stand-alone PDF summarizing recurring LED failure modes, including lens de-bonding, die attach failure, die cracking, wedge bond failure, and ball bond failure, with emphasis on mechanical and thermo-mechanical stress.
- Best fit: LED and package-failure interpretation
- Reference for intermittent, flicker, and no-light symptom review
- Reference for thermo-mechanical stress effects in LED construction
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Failure Analysis of BGAs
A stand-alone PDF covering recurring BGA failure modes and practical analysis approaches using limited tools such as DMM screening, microsectioning, and SEM/EDS, while also noting when more advanced methods are required.
- Best fit: BGA and area-array interconnect problems
- Reference for opens, shorts, intermittent faults, and packaging-related review
- Helps define when limited tools are enough and when deeper analysis is needed
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Gold Embrittlement of Solder Joints
A stand-alone PDF focused on gold embrittlement as a recurring solder-joint failure mechanism, with discussion of the material and process parameters that can lead to embrittlement in electronic assemblies.
- Best fit: brittle solder-joint and metallurgy questions
- Reference for both failure analysis and prevention-oriented review
- Strong companion paper to the intermetallics paper
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Failure Analysis of PCBAs
A stand-alone PDF describing the practical PCBA failure-analysis process, including documentation review, microscope examination, electrical verification, cross-sectioning, decapsulation, SEM/EDS, and handling guidance that helps preserve root-cause evidence.
- Best fit: assembly-level failure-analysis planning
- Reference for contamination, corrosion, solder-joint, and PWB-related cases
- Guidance for preserving evidence before analysis begins
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Diffusion Barrier Plating in Electronics
A stand-alone PDF on why diffusion barriers matter in electronics manufacturing, with example-driven discussion of barrier-layer use, process quality, and the effect of plating choices on solder-joint reliability.
- Best fit: plating, metallurgy, and reliability questions
- Reference for process-selection and microstructural review
- Strong companion paper to solder-joint and intermetallic topics
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Images of Failures in Microelectronics Packaging
A stand-alone PDF collecting multiple packaging failure examples, including gold embrittlement, mechanical damage, solder-joint failure, black pad syndrome, and other packaging-related failure mechanisms.
- Best fit: broad packaging-failure reference use
- Helps compare several failure mechanisms in one document
- Strong bridge between papers and the SEM image library
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
FTIR Analysis
A stand-alone PDF on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a practical technique for identifying polymer compositions and organic contaminants through spectral comparison and material fingerprinting.
- Best fit: contamination and materials-analysis questions
- Reference for polymer identification and organic-residue work
- Analytical-technique companion to contamination-focused content
Featured paper
High-value paper
Legacy
Failure Analysis of Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors
A 21-page stand-alone PDF covering failure mechanisms in aluminum electrolytic capacitors and the analytical techniques used to identify them, based on long practical experience and including figures, equations, and graphs.
- Best fit: capacitor-failure and component-analysis questions
- For cases that need deeper stand-alone technical coverage
- Detailed treatment of a common component-failure class
Featured paper
High-value paper
Legacy
Solder Joint Analysis
A stand-alone PDF covering solder-joint evaluation and failure analysis through metallurgical cross-sectioning, SEM/EDS, failure analysis, and computational metallurgical analysis.
- Best fit: solder-joint, metallurgy, and reliability questions
- Broader analytical framework, not just a single failure mode
- Strong anchor paper for the solder-joint side of the catalog
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
HASL Finish on PWBs
A stand-alone PDF focused on HASL finish on printed wiring boards, positioned as a practical reference for surface-finish evaluation, solderability, and process-related assembly questions.
- Best fit: PWB finish, solderability, and assembly-process questions
- For cases where finish condition may affect downstream solder-joint quality
- Good supporting paper for the manufacturing and process side of the catalog
Featured paper
High-value paper
Legacy
Failure Analysis of PWBs
A stand-alone PDF covering common printed wiring board failure modes and the construction-analysis work used to verify board quality before those problems become larger reliability issues.
- Best fit: PWB failure analysis, fabrication quality, and construction-analysis questions
- Reference for PTH plating, CAF, lamination, corrosion, and inner-layer separation topics
- Strong anchor paper for the board-quality side of the catalog
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
BGA Assembly Verification
A stand-alone PDF covering BGA assembly verification through microsection and SEM analysis, with emphasis on optimizing assembly processes early and preventing production failures.
- Best fit: BGA assembly, solder-joint quality, and process-validation questions
- For assembly-quality review before release or volume production
- Good supporting paper for the preventive side of the BGA and solder-joint catalog
Featured paper
High-value paper
Legacy
Solder Flux Residue - Part 1
A stand-alone PDF covering solder flux residue on printed circuit board assemblies, including its role in corrosion, electro-chemical migration, electrical leakage, and short-circuit faults.
- Best fit: contamination, corrosion, leakage, and ECM questions
- For residue cases where EDS interpretation is part of the problem
- Strong anchor paper for the contamination side of the catalog
Featured paper
Medium paper
Legacy
Solder Flux Residue - Part 2
A stand-alone PDF focused on interpreting EDS data from solder flux residue by separating residue contribution from solder-mask contribution beneath thin residue layers.
- Best fit: contamination analysis and EDS-interpretation questions
- For residue cases where the main issue is what the data actually means
- Strong companion paper to Solder Flux Residue - Part 1
Best starting points
Start here
- Start with Solder Joint Analysis for broad solder-joint evaluation
- Use Failure Analysis of PWBs for board-quality and construction issues
- Use Solder Flux Residue - Part 1 for contamination, leakage, and corrosion questions
By topic
Topic groups
- Solder joints and BGAs: Intermetallics, Gold Embrittlement, Solder Joint Analysis, BGA Assembly Verification, and Failure Analysis of BGAs
- PWBs and fabrication quality: HASL Finish on PWBs, Failure Analysis of PWBs, and Failure Analysis of PCBAs
- Contamination and interpretation: FTIR Analysis, Solder Flux Residue - Part 1, and Solder Flux Residue - Part 2
- Component and package failures: Failure Analysis of LEDs, Failure Analysis of Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors, and Images of Failures in Microelectronics Packaging
Choosing a paper
Choose by technical question
- Use solder-joint papers for intermetallics, embrittlement, BGAs, and assembly verification
- Use PWB papers for board construction, plating, vias, residues, and process quality
- Use component papers for LEDs, capacitors, packages, and failure mechanisms
Archive papers
About archive papers
- Some papers were written earlier in SEM Lab's history but still address recurring engineering problems
- Older examples remain relevant when the physical mechanism has not changed
- Archive papers are included when they still help with practical interpretation
Entry paper
Narrow practical topic
Best fit
single issue, limited scope
Choose a narrow paper when one specific issue is enough: a finish, a residue, a joint feature, or a single analytical method.
- Defined manufacturing or interpretation issue
- Shorter reference for a specific decision
- For decisions that do not need broad background material
Medium paper
Standard technical reference
Best fit
defined topic, practical depth
Standard papers cover a defined topic with enough detail to serve as a practical engineering reference.
- Process, materials, and verification topics
- Examples in this catalog include HASL Finish on PWBs and BGA Assembly Verification
- Good default when one focused technical reference is needed
High-value paper
Broader or deeper paper
Best fit
strong scope, broad reuse
Broader papers are best when the topic spans multiple mechanisms, evidence types, or recurring failure-analysis decisions.
- Broad anchors such as Solder Joint Analysis, Failure Analysis of PWBs, and Solder Flux Residue - Part 1
- Repeated internal reference
- Best when a compact note would not provide enough context
Paper Store Guidance
Use papers for defined topics. Use the member library for broader reference. Use consulting when the question is your own hardware.
Choose a paper when you want a focused technical reference. Use the member library when you want broader background and related examples. Use consulting when the issue is your own product, process, or failure.