Patent ID: 8310246

Claim:
A continuity testing apparatus for testing a condition of continuity between a semiconductor device and a mounting substrate on which the semiconductor device is mounted, or between terminals of the semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising: an open/short detection circuit provided for each of a plurality of to-be-tested terminals of the semiconductor device that determines presence or absence of at least any one of an open-circuit failure and a short-circuit failure in the to-be-tested terminal, wherein a detected result of the open/short detection circuit is generated based on a condition of continuity of the to-be-tested terminal connected to the open/short detection circuit and a detected result from an open/short detection circuit in a preceding stage, and the generated detected result is outputted to an open/short detection circuit in a succeeding stage, and the condition of continuity is determined based on an output from an open/short detection circuit in a last stage.