Patent ID: 7573049

Claim:
An alignment method in a charged particle beam apparatus including a stage capable of moving inside an XY plane and in a Z axis direction perpendicular to said XY plane while holding a sample, a first column having an optical axis parallel to said Z axis and a second column having an optical axis inclined to said Z axis, said method comprising steps of: moving said stage inside the XY plane and positioning a first known mark on a sample to the visual field center of said first column; moving said stage by an offset between the visual field of said first column and the visual field of said second column; observing said first known mark by said second column and determining a deviation amount from the visual field center; determining a height deviation of the sample from a reference height on the basis of said deviation amount; moving said stage by the height deviation in the Z axis direction and adjusting a sample surface provided with said first known mark to said reference height and determining a position of said first known mark; moving said stage inside the XY plane while fixing in said Z direction and positioning to a second known mark on the sample; and determining a position of the second known mark by said second column and achieving Die alignment.