Method of inspecting a semiconductor device and an apparatus thereof

A method of inspecting a sample, comprising the steps of:

• inspecting a sample under a plurality of inspection conditions and storing the information of a candidate for a position to be observed in detail under each of plurality of inspection conditions;
• determining a position to be inspected in detail out of the stored information of the candidate for the position to be inspected in detail under each of plurality of inspection conditions;
• obtaining an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail;
• determining an inspection condition of the sample by the use of the obtained information of the image;
• and
• inspecting the sample under the determined inspection condition.

An apparatus for inspecting a sample, comprising:

• inspection means for inspecting a sample under a set inspection condition;
• inspection condition setting means for setting the inspection condition of the inspection means;
• storage means for storing the position data of a candidate to be inspected in detail of the sample, which are obtained by sequentially inspecting the sample under a plurality of inspection conditions set by the inspection condition setting means with the inspection means, in correspondence with the data of plurality of inspection conditions;
• checking means for checking the position data of the candidate to be inspected in detail, which are stored in the storage means, against each other for each of plurality of inspection conditions to determine a position to be inspected in detail;
• detailed image obtaining means for obtaining an image of the sample at a position to be inspected in detail, which is determined with the checking means;
• image classifying means for classifying the image obtained with the detailed image obtaining means;
• and
• inspection condition determining means for determining the inspection condition of the sample by the use of information of the image classified by the image classifying means.