INSPECTION APPARATUS AND INSPECTION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for making inspection by irradiating a sample with an electron beam, by which image formation is achieved with good quality without need of any complicated optical system, and throughput of inspection can be improved. SOLUTION: The electron beam inspection apparatus 35 is equipped with 2 sources 21a, 21b of electron beam, and 4 electron beams 2A-2D are emitted from each source 21 of electron beam. Pairs of corresponding electron beams from the 2 sources 21a, 21b of electron beam are struck on prescribed positions of a surface of a sample 10, respectively. The electron beams 2A-2D are scanned in corresponding regions 91A-92B in charge on the surface of the sample 10, thereby covering the whole area 90 to be irradiated. An image of electrons from the surface of the sample 10 is formed in a detecting section 14 by a mapping projection section 25. A signal outputted on the basis of this image formation is processed in a image processing section 30. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO