Patent ID: 9234745
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: G01B,G01N,G03F,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for processing and measuring a device, said device having a first periodic structure, said method comprising: measuring a critical dimension of the first periodic structure by illuminating the first periodic structure with incident electromagnetic radiation and by detecting diffracted electromagnetic radiation from the illuminated portions of the first periodic structure; after the first periodic structure has been measured, forming a second periodic structure in a region of the device, where the first and second periodic structures are present in said region; and measuring a relative position between the first and second periodic structures by illuminating the first and second periodic structures with incident electromagnetic radiation and by detecting diffracted electromagnetic radiation from the illuminated portions of the first and second periodic structures in said region, wherein said measuring of the relative position between the first and second periodic structures includes detecting positive and negative first order diffracted electromagnetic radiation from the illuminated portions of the first and second periodic structures in said region, and deriving differential intensity between the positive and negative first-order diffraction, differential phase between the positive and negative first-order diffraction or differential polarization between the positive and negative first-order diffraction.