Patent ID: 7129727
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A defect inspecting apparatus, comprising: a charged-particle source; an emitting unit that emits a charged-particle beam from the charged-particle source onto a sample; an image shift unit that moves a point on the sample of the charged-particle beam, the beam being emitted onto the point; an image obtaining unit that detects a beam of secondary charged particles appearing due to the charged-particle beam emitted onto the sample and for obtaining an image of the sample; a display unit that displays the image obtained in the preceding step; a storage unit having stored information about the sample; an image processing unit that executes image processing on the image to display the image; an electrooptical unit including a communication unit to connect the storage unit to the image processing unit; a sample stage that mounts the sample thereon; a sample chamber including the sample stage therein; a sample change chamber connected to the sample chamber to temporarily keep the sample therein; a first transporting unit that transports the sample between the sample change chamber and the sample chamber; a probe holder including a plurality of probes which are brought into contact with the sample to measure electric characteristics of the sample; a plurality of probe units that moves the probe holder; a probe holder change chamber that temporarily keeps the probe holder therein; a second transporting unit connected to the sample chamber for transporting the probe holder between the probe holder change chamber and the sample chamber; a base stage that transports the sample and the probe units to a position at which the sample and each of the probe units can be changed; a probe image processing unit that displays the plural probes on the display unit; a probe selecting unit that selects, from the plural probes displayed on the display unit, a probe to be operated; and a probe display unit that simultaneously displays thereon that the probe selected by the probe selecting unit is a probe which can be operated and that the probe is a probe in a non-selection state in which the probe is not selected.