Workpiece holder, semiconductor fabricating apparatus, semiconductor inspecting apparatus, circuit pattern inspecting apparatus, charged particle beam application apparatus, calibrating substrate, workpiece holding method, circuit pattern inspecting method, and charged particle beam application method

A semiconductor inspecting apparatus for irradiating the surface of a workpiece with an electron beam, and detecting secondary electrons produced by the irradiation, thereby observing or inspecting the surface state of said workpiece, comprising:

• a workpiece holder including a positioning portion for positioning said workpiece,
• wherein the surface height of an end portion of said workpiece is nearly equal to the height of said positioning portion when said workpiece is held by said workpiece holder.

A method of holding a workpiece, which is used for an electron beam application apparatus, for processing a workpiece by irradiating the surface of a workpiece being held with an electron beam or observing the surface state of a workpiece by detecting secondary electrons produced by the irradiation of said workpiece with an electron beam, comprising:

• holding said workpiece in such a manner that the surface height of an end portion of said workpiece is nearly equal to the height of a positioning portion which comes closer to the end portion of said workpiece and positions said workpiece.