Patent ID: 7423746

Claim:
A circuit pattern inspection apparatus comprising: an irradiation means for irradiating the surface of a substrate on which a wafer circuit pattern is formed with either light, laser light, or a charged-particle beam; a detection means for detecting a signal produced by the substrate upon irradiation; an inspection image acquisition means for acquiring images of the wafer circuit pattern as inspection images by converting the signal detected by the detection means into images; a defect determination means for comparing the inspection images obtained by the inspection image acquisition means with a reference image different from the inspection images that are acquired from an identical circuit pattern so as to determine a defect portion produced on the circuit pattern from which the inspection images have been acquired; an analysis result display means for generating a defect confirmation screen on which the inspection images acquired by the inspection image acquisition means, an analysis image based on the inspection images, and another analysis image based on the result of defect determination made by the defect determination means are arranged; an input means for entering information on a defect confirmation screen generated by the analysis result display means in a dialog mode; and an image linkage means for changing, when an operation input has been made using the input means on either the analysis image based on the inspection images disposed or on the analysis image based on the result of determination that are arranged on the defect confirmation screen, the display contents of one analysis image are changed in a corresponding manner in operative linkage with the operation input made on the other analysis image via the input means.