Patent ID: 8705841

Claim:
A pattern inspection apparatus for detecting, based on image data of an object pattern obtained by picking up an image of an electronic device pattern, an abnormality including a defect by use of a tolerance for pattern deformation, the apparatus comprising: a reference pattern storage for storing therein data based on a reference pattern associated with the object pattern as an object to detect an abnormality, the reference pattern including a first pattern edge portion and a second pattern edge portion; an image data storage for storing therein data based on the image data of the object pattern; a reference pattern compensator configured to partially compensate a location of the first pattern edge portion to be shrunk or expanded based on the reference pattern stored in the reference pattern storage such that the first pattern edge portion is to be placed at another location of another pattern edge portion while the second pattern edge portion maintains the same size, said another location of said another pattern edge portion being determined based on the image data stored in the image data storage; and an abnormality judger configured to set a tolerance based on the location compensated based on the reference pattern, and to judge the object pattern as abnormal when an outline of the object pattern is fallen outside of the tolerance.