Patent ID: 7526352

Claim:
A semiconductor inspection system comprising: a plurality of storage devices each of which stores design information; a computer to read design information from the storage devices, to generate an inspection position or inspection area based on the read design information and to write the generated inspection position or inspection area into the storage devices; an observation unit to retrieve the inspection position or inspection area from the storage devices and to execute an inspection according to the retrieved inspection position or inspection area to observe image data; a control unit which controls the observation unit; a storage area network connected to all of the plurality of storage devices and the control unit; and a general network connected to all of the plurality of storage devices and the control unit, wherein the storage area network is to carry data flow for the image data and the general network is to carry data flow for message data that represents control commands for controlling and linking the storage devices and the control unit; wherein the control unit is to store the image data observed from the observation unit into one or more of the storage devices via the storage area network.