Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of achieving both acquisition of an image having high resolution of an inspection target pattern and suppression of a beam irradiation amount when a specific pattern is an inspection target from a highly integrated pattern group.

Abstract: A charged particle microscope corrects distortion in an image caused by effects of drift in the sampling stage by measuring the correction reference image in a shorter time than the observation image, making corrections by comparing the shape of the observation image with the shape of the correction reference image, and reducing distortion in the observation images. The reference image for distortion correction is measured at the same position and magnification as when acquiring images for observation. In order to reduce effects from drift, the reference image is at this time measured within a shorter time than the essential observation image. The shape of the observation image is corrected by comparing the shapes of the reference image and observation image, and correcting the shape of the observation image to match the reference image.

Abstract: A charged particle microscope corrects distortion in an image caused by effects of drift in the sampling stage by measuring the correction reference image in a shorter time than the observation image, making corrections by comparing the shape of the observation image with the shape of the correction reference image, and reducing distortion in the observation images. The reference image for distortion correction is measured at the same position and magnification as when acquiring images for observation. In order to reduce effects from drift, the reference image is at this time measured within a shorter time than the essential observation image. The shape of the observation image is corrected by comparing the shapes of the reference image and observation image, and correcting the shape of the observation image to match the reference image.

Abstract: Although there is a method for optimizing a threshold for each of regions to be inspected of an acquired detected image, only a single threshold is applied to a single detected image. Thus, when being included in a single image, an insignificant defect is detected at the same sensitivity level as that for a significant defect. The invention proposes a mechanism in which multiple sensitivity regions are set in a single inspection region, and thereby a defect only in a region where a DOI (Defect of interesting) is present in the single inspection region can be detected while being discriminated from the other ones. Specifically, the multiple sensitivity regions are set based on features of an image in the inspection region, and set sensitivities for the respective sensitivity regions are applied to a detected image, a difference image or a determination threshold for a defect determination unit.