A method for electrically characterizing a layer disposed on a substrate and electrically insulated from the substrate is disclosed. The method can include forming a test pattern, contacting the test pattern with electrical contact elements at contact regions, and measuring an electrical parameter of the layer by passing a first set of test currents between contact regions. The test pattern can be formed by pushing a pattern forming head against a top surface of the layer, introducing a first fluid into the cavity, and converting the sacrificial portion of the layer into an insulator using the first fluid and forming the test pattern under the test-pattern-shaped inner seal.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip stacked on the first semiconductor chip and electrically connected to the first semiconductor chip by a first through electrode and a second through electrode. The first semiconductor chip may electrically connect the first through electrode to a third test resistor during a second test operation. The first semiconductor chip may detect a voltage level of the first internal node, which is determined by resistance values of the third test resistor and the first and second through electrodes, to test a short failure between the first and second through electrodes during the second test operation.

Systems, devices, and methods for characterizing semiconductor devices and thin film materials. The device consists of multiple probe tips that are integrated on a single substrate. The layout of the probe tips could be designed to match specific patterns on a CMOS chip or sample. The device provides for detailed studies of transport mechanisms in thin film materials and semiconductor devices.

A method for electrically characterizing a layer disposed on a substrate and electrically insulated from the substrate is disclosed. The method can include forming a test pattern, contacting the test pattern with electrical contact elements at contact regions, and measuring an electrical parameter of the layer by passing a first set of test currents between contact regions. The test pattern can be formed by pushing a pattern forming head against a top surface of the layer, introducing a first fluid into the cavity, and converting the sacrificial portion of the layer into an insulator using the first fluid and forming the test pattern under the test-pattern-shaped inner seal.

An apparatus and method for testing gallium nitride field effect transistors (GaN FETs) are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a high side GaN FET, a low side GaN FET, a high side driver coupled to a gate of the high side GaN FET, a low side driver coupled to a gate of the low side GaN FET, and a driver circuit coupled to the high side and low side drivers and configured to generate drive signals capable of driving the high and low side GaN FETs, wherein the high and low side GaN FETs and transistors, within the high and low side drivers and the driver circuit, are patterned on a same semiconductor device layer during a front-end-of-line (FEOL) process.

A device for converting electrical energy, including at least one switching-type semiconductor component, a cooling path for cooling the semiconductor component, and a device for determining a degradation of the cooling path based on a current having a predetermined current intensity that flows through the component. The device provides that the semiconductor component includes an optically active semiconductor material, which generates light having a brightness that is dependent on a temperature of the semiconductor component when the semiconductor component is traversed by current having a predetermined current intensity, and the device for determining the degradation includes a brightness sensor for recording the brightness of the generated light. The device has the advantage that the device for determining the degradation and the component are inherently galvanically isolated, and the degradation can be determined at a high resolution.

The disclosure describes to techniques for detecting field failures or performance degradation of circuits, including integrated circuits (IC), by including additional contacts, i.e. terminals, along with the functional contacts that used for connecting the circuit to a system in which the circuit is a part. These additional contacts may be used to measure dynamic changing electrical characteristics over time e.g. voltage, current, temperature and impedance. These electrical characteristics may be representative of a certain failure mode and may be an indicator for circuit state-of-health (SOH), while the circuit is performing in the field.

An insulator applied in a probe base including a probe mounting hole, the insulator is a sheet structure having plural through holes, and the probe mounting hole is formed at the center of the insulator, and the probe mounting hole and the through hole penetrate from a first surface to a second surface of the insulator, and the regions of the first and second surfaces without the probe mounting hole and the through hole are coplanar. The probe base has a base body and at least a composite assembly, and the base body has at least a testing zone, and the composite assembly is installed in the testing zone and has at least a probe hole for installing a probe, and the insulator is installed into the probe hole.

A semiconductor substrate in includes a buffer layer and a first crystalline layer. A bandgap of the first crystalline layer is smaller than a bandgap of a second layer. When a semiconductor wafer is formed as a transistor wafer, a channel of a transistor is formed at or near an interface between the first crystalline layer and the second layer. With a first electrode and a second electrode provided and a third electrode provided, when space charge redistribution, for emitting electrons and holes from a bandgap of a crystal positioned in the spatial region, is achieved by applying negative voltage to the third electrode or by applying positive voltage to the second electrode with the first electrode serving as a reference, an electron emission speed in the space charge redistribution is higher than a hole emission speed.

Power semi-conductor module (1) comprising: —at least one IGBT with a Gate G forming a first electrode (11) and an Emitter E forming a second electrode (12), or—at least one MOSFET with a Gate G forming a first electrode (11) and a Source S forming a second electrode (12). The first electrode (11) includes a polysilicon material made in one piece. The one-piece is made partly of a monitoring portion (13). The monitoring portion (13) is in electrical contact with the second electrode (12) such that a leakage current flows between the first electrode (11) and the second electrode (12) in an operational state of the module (1). The monitoring portion (13) has a location, a form, a size and a material composition selected together such that to have a variable resistance in function of its temperature during the operational state of the module (1).