Patent ID: 8357895
Filing Date: 2013-01-22
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A defect inspection apparatus comprising: a charged beam irradiation unit which generates a charged beam and applies the charged beam to a sample having a plurality of patterns formed thereon; a beam shape control unit which controls a shape of the charged beam while substantially maintaining a cross-sectional area of the beam in a manner that a beam width in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis is smaller than a beam width in a second direction that is perpendicular to the optical axis and to the first direction; a scanning unit which scans the sample with the charged beam having the controlled shape; and a defect detection unit which detects charged particles generated from a surface of the sample by irradiation of the charged beam and detects a defect of the patterns, wherein the scanning unit sets the first direction to a direction in which an interval between adjacent patterns becomes a minimum value and scans an inspection region of the sample in the second direction, and wherein, if during scanning the sample moves in a third direction, the second direction is different from the third direction.