Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus comprising: an inspection region dividing section which divides a defect inspection region of a wafer on which a circuit pattern is formed into a plurality of inspection subregions; a pattern density calculating section which calculates the pattern density of each of the inspection subregions on the basis of design data of the circuit pattern; an inspection execution region and sensitivity rank setting section which assigns a sensitivity rank based on the pattern density to a plurality of inspection execution regions, each including a plurality of the inspection subregions; and a defect inspecting section which sets an inspection parameter on the basis of sensitivity ranks of the inspection execution regions and inspects the inspection execution regions for a defect.

Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus comprising: an inspection region dividing section which divides a defect inspection region of a wafer on which a circuit pattern is formed into a plurality of inspection subregions; a pattern density calculating section which calculates the pattern density of each of the inspection subregions on the basis of design data of the circuit pattern; an inspection execution region and sensitivity rank setting section which assigns a sensitivity rank based on the pattern density to a plurality of inspection execution regions, each including a plurality of the inspection subregions; and a defect inspecting section which sets an inspection parameter on the basis of sensitivity ranks of the inspection execution regions and inspects the inspection execution regions for a defect.

Abstract: Even if an observing charged beam is irradiated upon an observation cross section obliquely from above, it is possible to obtain an observation image equivalent to that obtained when the observing charged beam is irradiated thereupon vertically from above. A wafer to be observed is mounted on the stage. The stage is moved by the stage control section on the basis of coordinate data given by the coordinate inputting section to such a position that an observed position of the wafer can be located just under the ion beam irradiating unit. The ion beam of the ion beam irradiating unit is irradiated upon the wafer surface vertically to form an observation cross section. On the other hand, an electron beam is irradiated from the electron beam irradiating unit upon the observation cross section obliquely from above at an inclination angle with respect to the ion beam irradiating unit. The secondary electrons emitted from the wafer surface are detected by the detector to generate video signals.

Abstract: An automatic focusing method for scanning electron microscopy. A scanning electron microscope is set in a low magnification mode to detect a taper portion of an object to be observed. The beam scanning whose direction is perpendicular to the taper portion is effected whenever objective lens control condition is changed at a first pitch, and the secondary electron signals obtained under these conditions are converted into video signals. The video signals are differential smoothed to calculate a sum of video signal absolute values. On the basis of the sum of the absolute values, an optimum objective lens control condition in the low magnification mode can be obtained. Sequentially, the microscope is set to a high magnification mode, and the objective lens control condition is further changed at a second pitch within a predetermined range with the optimum control condition in the low magnification mode as the center of the range.

Abstract: A pattern profile measuring method and apparatus for measuring the profile of a measuring portion of a pattern of a specimen placed on a specimen stage by controlling a deflector of a scanning electron microscope capable of setting a desired inclination angle of one of the specimen stage and an electron optical column, applying an electron beam to the measuring portion of the specimen, and image processing a secondary electron signal from the measuring portion.

Abstract: A pattern dimension measuring method for measuring the dimension of a measuring portion of a pattern of a specimen placed on a specimen stage by controlling a deflector of a scan type electron microscope capable of setting a desired inclination angle of the specimen stage a lens barrel, applying an electron beam to the measuring portion of the specimen, and image processing a secondary electron signal from the measuring portion, the method comprising: a first step of calculating the distance between top edges of the measuring portion of the pattern by image processing the secondary electron signal when the electron beam is applied to the measuring portion at an inclination angle of zero; a second step of obtaining the number of pixels at a taper portion of the measuring portion of the pattern by image processing the secondary electron signal when the electron beam is applied to the measuring portion at a first predetermined inclination angle which allows to observe the bottom edges; a third step of obtaining