Patent ID: 7106087

Claim:
A method for evaluating a semiconductor device, the method being used for obtaining a dielectric breakdown lifetime of an insulating film that has a multilayer structure and is included in a semiconductor element under application of a given stress voltage, the method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring, as a reference dielectric breakdown lifetime, a time required for dielectric breakdown of the insulating film to occur by application of a reference stress voltage between a pair of electrodes sandwiching the insulating film therebetween; (b) measuring the amount of a variation of a peak voltage caused by the application of the reference stress voltage, the peak voltage being a voltage applied between the pair of electrodes when an absolute value of the amount of a current flowing in the insulating film upon application of the voltage between the pair of electrodes is at a local maximum; (c) obtaining a first saturation time required for the amount of the variation of the peak voltage measured at the step (b) to be saturated, (d) measuring the amount of a variation of the peak voltage caused by the application of the given stress voltage; (e) obtaining a second saturation time required for the amount of the variation of the peak voltage measured at the step (d) to be saturated; and (f) obtaining the dielectric breakdown lifetime under the application of the given stress voltage, based on the reference dielectric breakdown lifetime measured at the step (a), the first saturation time obtained at the step (c) and the second saturation time obtained at the step (e).