Patent ID: 8405025

Claim:
An image taking method of a scanning electron microscope comprising: a first beam current setting step of setting a beam current for taking an image with a first magnification; a first image taking step of obtaining a first image by taking an image of a sample with the beam current set in the first beam current setting step and emitted from an electron beam source and detecting a secondary electron or a reflected electron emanated from the sample by a detecting unit; a second beam current setting step of setting a beam current for taking an image with a second magnification; a second image taking step of obtaining a second image by taking an image of a sample with the beam current set in the second beam current setting step; a position misalignment amount calculating step of calculating a position misalignment amount by aligning the first image and the second image; a defect selecting step of selecting a defect by using the position misalignment amount; a first stage moving step of moving a stage on which the sample is placed, whereby a reference position on the sample corresponding to the defect selected in the defect selecting step enters a visual field; a third beam current setting step of setting a beam current in parallel with the stage moving step; a reference image taking step of obtaining a reference image by irradiating a region entered in the visual field in the first stage moving step with the beam current set in the third beam current setting step; a second stage moving step of moving the stage on which the sample is placed, whereby the defect selected in the defect selecting step enters a visual field; a defect image taking step of obtaining a defect image by irradiating a region entered in the visual field in the second stage moving step; a defect position specifying step of specifying a defect position by comparing the reference image obtained in the reference image taking step and the defect image obtained in the defect image taking step; and a third image taking step of taking an image of the defect position specified in the defect position specifying step in view of the position misalignment amount calculated in the position misalignment amount calculating step.