Electron-beam testing (EBT) is currently used at two stages in the development and manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs), namely for chip verification and failure analysis. These are explained with the aid of two examples. EBT is, however, only one of many diagnostic tools. In order to classify it more usefully, a scenario is described that takes account of trends in chip development and packaging, and the linking of EBT with CAD (computer-aided design) and CAT (computer-aided testing). The conclusion is reached that EBT will remain an indispensable diagnostic tool. In future, it will probably be used under increasingly more' difficult conditions, however, due primarily to the greater complexity of specimen preparation and test stimuli generation.