Scanning electron acoustic microscopy (SEAM) can be used as a tool to visualize integrated circuit failures caused by lithographic processes, metallic overlayer adherence problems, major subsurface defects, and presence of alloyed compounds formed between ohmic contacts and epitaxial layers. Major defects and doping striations are also visualized by SEAM. For highly doped epitaxial layers a dependence has been found between the doping level and the electron acoustic signal
