“…Due to the benefit of the absence of irradiation effects (contamination and destruction of the specimen) and the high sensitivity to electric microfields, this method appeared to be very attractive to image semiconductor devices which are very sensitive to electron bombardment. Most of the SEMM applications made up to the present time have been contributions in this field (Paden and Nixon Ogilvie et al 1969, Cline et al 1969, Cox 1971, Luk'yanov et al 1974, Spivak et al 1978, Wilfing and Horl 1978. Circuit topography could be imaged and various defects such as microcracks, holes, scratches, etc.…”