A novel scheme is introduced which allows spatially resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies to be performed in device applications by taking advantage of the ability to bias the various components of the device. The application of a bias voltage produces a shift in the Fermi level of the biased component and there is a corresponding shift in the binding energy of electrons emitted from this component. In this manner it is possible to discriminate between the XPS signals that are due to a given element but which originate from different regions of the sample. By analogy with the corresponding biasing scheme employed in SEM studies, this technique has been called voltage contrast XPS.