METHOD FOR ESTIMATING SERVICE LIFE OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND SERVICE LIFE ESTIMATING DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time required for estimating a service life of a semiconductor device.;SOLUTION: The method is used to estimating a service life of the semiconductor device wherein a gate electrode is embedded in a trench formed in a semiconductor substrate by means of a gate insulation film. In the semiconductor device to be calculated for service life, a current decreasing period between the start of application of a constant voltage to between the gate electrode and semiconductor substrate and the transition of a decrease in current flowing in the gate insulation film to an increase therein is obtained (S118). The service life of the semiconductor device is calculated on the basis of the obtained group of current decreasing period and an in-advance calculated relationship between the current decreasing period and the service life (S140). The calculated service life is used to obtain an estimated service life at the time when the constant voltage applied to the semiconductor device for calculation and a semiconductor device to be manufactured under almost the same manufacturing conditions (S142).;COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO