A compliant electrical probe device. A wafer on which a pattern having a large step being subjected to a semiconductor manufacturing process is formed is scanned and irradiated with an electron beam having irradiation energy which is in a range from 100 eV to 1,000 eV, and a defect is detected at high speed from an image of secondary electrons generated. The polishing pad component comprises a polishing pad base, and the polishing pad base is formed of a ferromagnetic material.