Laser-beam, pattern drawing/inspecting apparatus

Claim 1

A laser-beam, pattern drawing/inspecting apparatus comprising: a reciprocating stage for supporting a sample having an etchant-resistant resist layer coated on it; a drive mechanism for reciprocating said stage; a laser-beam scanning device having a laser for selectively emitting a first laser beam and a second laser beam less intense than the first laser beam, and an optical system for guiding the first and second laser beams to the sample along the same optical path, said first laser beam scanning the resist layer to draw a pattern thereon, and said second laser beam scanning the resist layer; a pattern inspection device for receiving the second laser beam reflected from the resist layer, thereby to optically inspect the pattern drawn on the resist layer; wherein said laser has a laser head for emitting the first laser beam, and an inspection unit which can be set on the optical axis of the laser head and which reduces the energy of the first laser beam, thereby to provide the second laser beam, when set in the optical axis of the laser head; and wherein said inspection unit has a beam-splitting member for splitting the first laser beam into two parts and supplying the first part to said optical system and the second part along a path, and a beam-absorbing member provided in this path for absorbing the second part of the first laser beam, and a member provided in front of said optical system for changing the frequency of the first part of the first laser beam.