Patent ID: 7521676

Claim:
A method for inspecting pattern defects with a scanning electron beam apparatus, the method comprising: a condition setup step of determining precharge conditions, which are charging electron beam irradiation conditions for charging a specimen with a condition setup scanning electron beam apparatus; and a defect inspection step of charging an inspection region on an inspection specimen by irradiating the inspection specimen with a charging electron beam by using an inspection scanning electron beam apparatus under the precharge conditions determined in the condition setup step, irradiating the charged inspection region with an electron beam, causing a detector to detect secondary electrons or reflected electrons that are generated from a surface and proximity of the specimen due to electron beam irradiation, and detecting a defect by processing a signal derived from electron detection; wherein determining the precharge conditions in the condition setup step further includes the steps of: irradiating a desired region on the specimen with a charging electron beam to charge the desired region and form an electrical potential distribution near the desired region; irradiating the desired region, for which the electrical potential distribution is formed, with a condition setup electron beam and allowing a detector to detect secondary electrons or reflected electrons generated from the surface and proximity of the specimen; discharging the desired region on which the condition setup electron beam is shed; repeating the steps between the electrical potential distribution formation step and the discharging step a number of times while varying the charging electron beam irradiation conditions; and determining the precharge conditions in accordance with a signal that is derived from the detection of the secondary electrons or reflected electrons in the detection step during the repetition of the steps.