Pattern inspection method and pattern inspection apparatus

A pattern inspection apparatus for detecting pattern defects of various kinds of patterns, comprising:

• a moving holding means for holding and moving in a prescribed direction a pattern holding member that holds a pattern under inspection;
• an optical means for generating pattern image data of a partial pattern under test from a pattern under test held by said moving holding means for every predetermined divided region of said pattern under inspection;
• a plurality of image comparison sections that compare said individual partial patterns under inspection of said pattern under inspection with prescribed reference pattern image information, and make a judgment as to whether or not a defect exists in said partial patterns under inspection, each of said image comparison sections comprising:
• a comparison pattern image information storage means which stores comparison pattern image data for a partial pattern under inspection corresponding to a specific inspection divided region,
• a reference pattern image information storage means which stores reference pattern image data corresponding to each of said partial patterns under inspection, and
• an image processing means that performs a comparison between said comparison pattern image data stored in said comparison pattern image information storage means and said reference pattern image data stored in said reference pattern image information storage means, and makes a judgment as to whether or not there is a defect in said pattern under inspection;
• a defect information accumulation means, which sequentially stores defect information in a prescribed partial pattern under inspection output by said image processing means in each of said image comparison sections;
• and
• a reviewing means, which outputs defect information with regard to each of said partial patterns under inspection stored in said defect information accumulation means with a prescribed format or at a prescribed time.