Patent ID: 7645988
Filing Date: 2010-01-12
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A substrate inspection method comprising: generating an electron beam and irradiating the electron beam as a primary electron beam to a substrate as a specimen; inducing at least any of a secondary electron, a reflected electron, and a backscattering electron which are emitted from the substrate receiving the primary electron beam, and magnifying and projecting the induced electron as a secondary electron beam so as to form an image of the secondary electron beam, a trajectory of the primary electron beam and a trajectory of the secondary electron beam having an overlapping space and a space charge effect of the secondary electron beam occurring in the overlapping space; detecting the image of the secondary electron beam to output a signal representing a state of the substrate; and deflecting at least one of the primary electron beam and the secondary electron beam so as to shrink the overlapping space, thereby suppressing aberration caused by the space charge effect in the overlapping space, wherein the primary electron beam or the secondary electron beam is deflected so that the primary electron beam has a focus at a position which is different from a focus of the secondary electron beam, and the focus of the primary electron beam and the focus of the secondary electron beam lie on a single focal surface.