Patent ID: 7554082

Claim:
A pattern observation apparatus comprising: a defect position information input unit which downloads defect position information for a pattern formed in a specimen and defect position accuracy information of an external inspection apparatus, the defect position information having been detected by the external inspection apparatus, the defect position accuracy having direction dependency that is derived from a difference between an actual position of a defect and a position of the defect detected by the external inspection apparatus, the difference resulting from poor accuracy of the external inspection apparatus in a particular direction; a moving unit which moves the specimen so as to bring a place detected as defective by the inspection apparatus into a field of view on the basis of the defect position information; a charged particle source which generates a charged particle beam and applies the charged particle beam to the specimen; a signal processing unit which detects at least one of secondary charged particles, reflected charged particles and back scattering charged particles emitted from the specimen due to the application of the charged particle beam and which outputs data on an inspection image of a specimen surface in the defective place; an inspection unit which re-detects an abnormality of the place detected as defective, on the basis of the inspection image; and a view field adjusting unit which adjusts a size of the field of view or a moving direction of the specimen on the basis of the direction dependency of the defect position accuracy of the external inspection apparatus while a resolution of the inspection image is kept fixed.