Abstract Physical failure analysis of nanoelectronic devices is typically performed using plan view or cross-sectional TEM, SEM or SPM techniques. While plan view SPM and SEM analyses are limited by the depth sensitivity of the technique, cross-sectional analysis requires at least approximate localization of the fail location within the device for effective sample preparation. Multi-finger wide 2D planar devices and multi-FIN 3D devices are structures which require an additional step in pinpointing the fail area within the device. This paper describes successful use of EBIC/EBAC techniques to localize the fail location within such devices in both the 22 nm and 14 nm technology nodes.