Patent ID: 8917103
Filing Date: 2014-12-23
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A testing method for testing a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including an overheat protection function activated when a temperature of the semiconductor device resides in an overheat protection function activating temperature range and deactivated when the temperature of the semiconductor device resides in an overheat protection function deactivating temperature range, the testing method comprising: heating the semiconductor device until the temperature of the semiconductor device reaches a predetermined temperature in a first step; conducting other functional tests other than testing of the overheat protection function in a second step after the temperature of the semiconductor device has reached the predetermined temperature in the first step; supplying to the semiconductor device a current via a testing device external to the semiconductor device, to initiate causing the semiconductor device to generate heat such that the overheat protection function of the semiconductor device is activated, detecting a first diode forward voltage of a desired diode contained in the semiconductor device when the overheat protection function of the semiconductor device is activated and computing a first computational temperature of the semiconductor device based on the detected first diode forward voltage of the desired diode contained in the semiconductor device in a third step, wherein the desired diode is a parasitic diode of an output driver element contained in the semiconductor device; and determining whether the computed first computational temperature of the semiconductor device resides in the overheat protection function activating temperature range in a fourth step.