Failure Detection Method and Failure Detection Apparatus

1 . A failure detection method for detecting a defect in an electrical conductor, comprising:

providing at least two output terminals on the electrical conductor under test, the at least two output terminals having identical electric potentials;

inputting a constant detection current sequentially to detection points arranged on the electrical conductor under test along a predetermined path;

detecting an output current at one or more output terminals of the at least two output terminals;

building a correspondence relationship between the detected one or more output currents at the one or more output terminals and positions of the detection points, based on information of the positions of the detection points and information of the detected one or more output currents at the one or more output terminals; and

determining from the correspondence relationship whether the detection points have a defect.

2 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a charged particle beam is used as a detection current source to irradiate the detection points, and the charged particle beam is an electron beam or an ion beam.

3 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a criterion for determining whether a detection point has a defect is: in the correspondence relationship, if a detection point is not at where the electrical conductor under test has a sudden change in shape or material, and if a corresponding output current at an output terminal varies irregularly with respect to a neighboring detection point, then a defect is present at the detection point or adjacent to the detection point.

4 . A failure detection method for detecting a defect in a wire, including:

providing an output terminal at both ends of the wire, the output terminals having identical electric potentials;

inputting a constant detection current sequentially to detection points arranged on the wire along a predetermined path;

detecting an output current at one or both of the output terminals;

building a correspondence relationship between the detected one or both output currents at the one or both of the output terminals and positions of the detection points, based on information of the positions of the detection points and information of the detected one or both output currents at the one or both of the output terminals; and

determining from the correspondence relationship whether the detection points have a defect.

5 . The failure detection method according to claim 4 , wherein a charged particle beam with a constant energy is used as a detection current source to irradiate the detection points, and the charged particle beam is an electron beam or an ion beam.

6 . The failure detection method according to claim 4 , wherein a criterion for determining whether a detection point has a defect is: in the correspondence relationship, if an output current at an output terminal corresponding to a detection point varies irregularly with respect to a neighboring detection point, then a defect is present at the detection point or adjacent to the detection point.

7 . The failure detection method according to claim 6 , wherein the variation is a variation of the magnitude of an output current at any one of the output terminals versus the positions of the detection points.

8 . The failure detection method according to claim 6 , wherein the variation is a variation of a difference of output currents at both of the output terminals or the rate of change of the difference of output currents at both of the output terminals versus the positions of the detection points.

9 . A failure detection apparatus, for detecting a defect in an electrical conductor under test, the electrical conductor being provided with at least two output terminals and the at least two output terminals having identical electric potentials, the failure detection apparatus comprising:

a detection current input module, adapted to input a detection current sequentially to detection points arranged on the electrical conductor under test along a predetermined path;

an output current detection module, adapted to detect an output current at one or more output terminals of the at least two output terminals; and

an analysis module, adapted to build a correspondence relationship between the detected one or more output currents at the one or more output terminals and positions of the detection points, based on information of the positions of the detection points and information of the detected one or more output currents at the one or more output terminals, to perform failure detection on the electrical conductor under test.

10 . The failure detection apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection current input module comprises a charged particle beam generator adapted to generate a beam of charged particles to irradiate the electrical conductor under test.

11 . The failure detection apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a movement means, adapted to change a position where the electrical conductor under test is irradiated by the charged particle beam generator.

12 . The failure detection apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the output current detection module comprises a current meter connected with an output terminal of the electrical conductor under test.