Method for detecting system failures and a device for carrying out said method

The invention relates to a method for early detecting system failures of semiconductor switch elements (2), especially IGBT (insulated gated bipolar transistor) semiconductor switch elements, which are contacted at bonding locations (1) by means of electric lines (13). The invention is characterised in that a tensile force effects upon at least one of the lines (13), whereby precocity can be adjusted by selecting the variable of the tensile force, and in that removing or tearing off of one or more line/s (13) from the bonding locations (1) thereof is detected. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for carrying out said method and an application of the method or a utilisation of the device. The invention enables to early predict a system failure in a very simple manner. Measures for preventing the system failure can thus be taken in time.