Device and method for nondestructive inspection on semiconductor device

A nondestructive inspection device (or method) is basically configured such that a laser beam (1300 nm) (3, 53) is irradiated on a surface (or back) of a semiconductor device chip (4) to scan. Due to irradiation of the laser beam, a defect position is heated to cause a thermoelectromotive current, which induces a magnetic field. A magnetic field detector (5) such as SQUID (55) detects a strength of the magnetic field, based on which a scan magnetic field image is produced. A display device (7) superimposes the scan magnetic field image on a scan laser microphotograph on a screen, so it is possible to perform defect inspection on the semiconductor device chip. Incidentally, a semiconductor device wafer (40) is constructed to include a thermoelectromotive force generator (21) and its wires (20a), which are electrically connected to first-layer wires (34a, 34b). By irradiation of the laser beam on the thermoelectromotive force generator, it is possible to detect a short-circuit defect (42), which lies between the first-layer wires. Further, it is possible to perform nondestructive inspection on a semiconductor integrated circuit, which is in an intermediate stage of manufacture before formation of bonding pads and which includes a closed circuit configured by a first-layer wire (34), including a thermoelectromotive force generating defect (41), a circuit via (35) and an inspection via (305) as well as a metal film (36), which is formed in a relatively broad range of a surface area and is used to form a second-layer wire (37).