Patent ID: 7164128

Claim:
A method to observe a specimen, comprising: a step for irradiating and scanning a convergent electron beam, from an oblique direction, on a surface of a calibration substrate on which a pattern with a known shape is formed, and thereby obtaining the SEM image of the surface of the calibration substrate, a step for obtaining an angle in an oblique direction of the electron beam irradiated by use of the information about the shapes of the pattern with the known shape and the information about the SEM image obtained, a step for adjusting the obtained angle in an oblique direction to a desired angle, a step for irradiating the electron beam from the adjusted desired angle in an oblique direction, on a specimen substrate on which a pattern is formed, and thereby obtaining the SEM image of the specimen substrate, and a step for processing the SEM image of the specimen substrate by use of the information of the desired angle, and thereby obtaining a 3D image of the pattern on the specimen substrate or a shape of a cross section of the pattern.