Patent ID: 7838831

Claim:
A substrate inspection apparatus comprising: a film-forming device which forms a conductive thin film on a surface of an inspection target substrate with a pattern formed thereon; an imaging device which generates an electron beam, irradiates the substrate having the thin film formed thereon with the electron beam, detects at least any of secondary electrons, reflected electrons and backscattered electrons released from the surface of the substrate and outputs signals constituting an inspection image; and a controller which selects at least any of a material, a film thickness and a configuration for the thin film, or at least any of a material, a film thickness and a configuration for the thin film and an irradiation condition with the electron beam according to a priority of an index representing a characteristic of an inspection image, to generate a control signal, and supplies the generated control signal to the film-forming device, or the film-forming device and the imaging device.