QD publishes first real-world demonstration of quantum diamond microscopy on advanced InFO-PoP chip failure
Munich, Germany – December 10th, 2025 – QuantumDiamonds announces a major milestone: the first real-world demonstration of Quantum Diamond Microscopy (QDm) identifying a failure inside an advanced semiconductor package. In this study, QDm successfully localized a buried short-circuit within an Integrated Passive Device (IPD) inside an InFO-PoP processor from an iPhone — marking the first time a quantum-sensing magnetic imaging technique has resolved an actual defect inside a complex 2.5D/3D package.
A New Capability for Non-Destructive Failure Analysis
Using wide-field magnetic imaging and quantitative current reconstruction, QDm precisely pinpointed the location of a short within the redistribution layer. This shows QDm’s potential as a powerful, non-destructive complement to established FA tools such as emission microscopy, OBIRCH/TIVA, lock-in thermography, and SEM-based methods.
From Prototype to Industrial Tool
What began as a research setup has now evolved into a robust industrial solution, offering:
- High-speed, wide-field magnetic imaging
- Quantitative current mapping with nanoscale sensitivity
- Operation through complex 2.5D/3D packaging stacks
- Rapid and intuitive defect localization
QuantumDiamonds will deliver its first fully integrated systems to partners in Taiwan and the U.S. within the next three months.
Enabling Next-Generation Semiconductor Technologies
As the industry advances toward chiplets, hybrid bonding, and backside power delivery, traditional FA approaches face new limitations. QDm provides an orthogonal imaging modality that enables non-destructive visibility into buried structures — supporting yield engineering, design verification, and advanced packaging R&D.
Acknowledgments
We thank Bartu Bisgin, Marwa Garsi, Andreas Welscher, Michael Hanke, and the full QuantumDiamonds team for their contributions, as well as our partners at iST for their continued collaboration.
The full preprint is available at the link below.
Companies working in advanced packaging, heterogeneous integration, or failure analysis are invited to collaborate with QuantumDiamonds as we scale this technology globally.
