A　patterned　oxide　buried　in　bonded　silicon-on-insulator　(SOI)　wafers　before　thinning　has　been　characterized　using　a　near-infrared　scattering　topography　system.　This　system　has　been　combined　with　transmission　and　reflection　microscopy.　The　edge　of　the　patterned　oxide　buried　in　the　SOI　wafer　has　been　observed.　Micron-scaled　oxide　disks　formed　by　the　focused　ion　beam　technique　in　stacked　SOI　structures　have　been　observed　by　near-infrared　scattering　topography.　A　particle　has　been　identified　to　be　located　inside　a　silicon/air/silicon　structure　by　both　near-infrared　and　visible　laser　scattering　topographies.　The　size　of　the　particle　inside　the　silicon/air/silicon　structure　has　been　estimated　to　be　0.2　mu　m　from　the　intensity　of　scattered　near-infrared　light.　This　method　has　an　advantage　over　semiconductor　failure　analysis　in　future　scaled-down　technologies.