Patent ID: 7381968
Filing Date: 2008-06-03
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A charged particle beam apparatus having a specimen stage, a charged particle beam irradiation system for irradiating a charged particle beam on a specimen mounted to a specimen holder supported by said specimen stage and a specimen fine movement mechanism for finely moving the position or posture of the specimen, said apparatus comprising: a specimen holder communication system for accessing a memory said specimen holder borne by said specimen stage has to read and/or write the kind of said specimen holder, a height of the specimen mounted on said specimen holder, a state of said memory or information of a plurality of specimens mounted on said specimen holder from/to said memory, a probe for picking up a fine structure portion on said specimen and a controller for preparing a map of height levels of said specimen on the basis of pieces of information of heights of said specimen, wherein said controller calculates a portion said probe cannot come into contact with on the basis of the height information of said specimen.