Electron beam apparatus and device manufacturing method using same

An electron beam apparatus comprising:

• an electron gun for emitting an electron beam;
• an objective lens for generating an electric field for accelerating secondary electrons emitted from a sample;
• an ExB separator for introducing the secondary electrons to a secondary electron detector;
• electrostatic deflectors arranged at two stages and having deflection pivot at positions at which deflection aberration is minimized near said objective lens when said sample is scanned using said electrostatic deflectors,
• an aperture irradiated with the electron beam, said electron beam being shaped by passing through said aperture, and projected onto a sample, and
• an electrostatic chuck including at least a first electrode comprising a central region and a portion of a peripheral region of said electrostatic chuck, and a second electrode comprising the rest of said peripheral region, said second electrode being applied with a voltage after said first electrode is applied with a voltage,
• wherein an electrostatic deflector of said ExB separator is used as one of said electrostatic deflectors at the second stage at a space above said objective lens.

A method of testing a sample having patterns formed thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

• placing a sample on a stage, said sample including a tested area having a plurality of small regions that underlap one another;
• irradiating an electron beam in said small regions only once;
• detecting electron emitted from said small regions to produce information of the detected electrons;
• and
• obtaining an image of said tested area on the basis of the information,
• wherein said small regions of said tested area are underlapped so that irradiated portions of said small region do not overlap even if there is distortion in the field of sight or an error in the irradiated position.