Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp is proud to announce that Dr. Michael Lo has received the Best Paper Award at the iMPACT 2025 conference, recognizing outstanding technical contributions in advanced semiconductor packaging and materials analysis.
Mike’s award-winning paper, “Identifying Sub-10 μm Unknown Organic Foreign Matters by Laser-based Optical Detection of Infrared Photoinduced Localized Mirage Effect,” was selected as the top submission among this year’s iMPACT technical papers. The work highlights how Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy is transforming defect detection and chemical identification in microelectronics manufacturing.
In the paper, Mike demonstrates how O-PTIR enables the detection and identification of unknown organic foreign materials as small as sub-10 μm, delivering submicron infrared spatial resolution and high-quality IR spectra. These capabilities address a critical challenge in advanced semiconductor packaging, where even trace-level contaminants can impact device performance, yield, and reliability.
The research showcases O-PTIR’s ability to:
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Identify unknown foreign materials at the sub-10 μm scale
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Detect contaminants on metal contacts and within molding compounds
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Deliver submicron IR spatial resolution with enhanced sensitivity
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Provide chemically specific, high-quality infrared spectra for confident material identification
This work underscores the growing importance of advanced analytical techniques in modern electronics manufacturing, where rapid root-cause analysis and precise chemical insight are essential for improving yield and reducing waste.
Following the Best Paper Award announcement, Mike’s full iMPACT 2025 presentation is now available to watch on YouTube. In the presentation, he walks through real-world examples illustrating how O-PTIR enables laser-based optical detection of defects that are difficult or impossible to characterize using conventional methods.
The presentation offers a valuable opportunity for engineers, researchers, and analysts working in semiconductor packaging and microelectronics to see cutting-edge O-PTIR applications in action.
👉 Watch the presentation
Congratulations to Mike on this well-deserved recognition, and to the broader Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp team for continuing to advance innovative analytical solutions for real-world manufacturing challenges.