Infrared photodetectors have a wide range of applications including medical imaging, thermal sensing, spectroscopy, and night vision. Currently, the best photodetectors on the market have an active absorption region made from Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT). Although MCT photodetectors maintain the strongest absorption over the greatest spectral range,...

The different materials comprising an electronic package expand at different rates under thermal stress. Differing expansion rates cause deformation among the individual layers contributing to an uneven strain across the whole package. More frequent failure occurs in the areas under greatest stress, so manufacturers would prefer a sensing technique...

Invention Description The reliability of microelectronic packaging is increasingly challenged by the phenomenon of electromigration in lead-free solder joints, where high current densities cause material transport and eventual failure. Traditional characterization methods, such as optical and scanning electron microscopy, are restricted to two-dimensional...