High voltage silicon stack is composed of multiple high voltage rectifier diodes (silicon particles) in series. When it is tested and detected, the multimeter can be used with the stall of R × 10k to measure its positive and reverse resistance. Normally for high voltage silicon stack, the forward resistance is greater than 200kΩ, and reverse resistance is infinite. If the measured positive and negative have a certain value, then the high-voltage silicon stack could be decided as soft breakdown.

Another method is available. As high voltage silicon stack could functionally be used for rectifying, the multimeter could be switched to DC voltage stall of 250V or 500V, as shown in figure, the high voltage silicon stack is put in series and connected to the 220V AC power supply. Due to the rectifier effect, any deflection of the multimeter pointer will reflect the average current after half wave rectification, therefore the high voltage silicon stack and multimeter make up a half-wave rectifier AC voltmeter.

When the measured high-voltage silicon stack in accordance with the positive connection, the multimeter readings more than 30V is qualified. When connected by reverse connection, the multimeter pointer should reverse the deflection. If the multimeter pointer does not move anyway, it may be that the high voltage silicon stack is internally broken so that the current cannot pass through the multimeter. But it may also be that the high voltage silicon stack has been broken. When short circuit happens, AC voltage can be directly added to the multimeter, but because the AC frequency is 50Hz, the multimeter pointer is too late to swing, so the multimeter with the range switch positioning DC voltage stall shall always read zero.

Therefore, in order to determine short circuit and open circuit for the high-voltage silicon stack, the operator only need position the multimeter's range switch to the stall of AC voltage 250 V or 500 V. If the reading is 220V AC voltage, the measured high voltage silicon stack is decided as short circuit,and if the reading is zero, it shall indicat that the high-voltage silicon stack has been internally broken.