Patent ID: 7050179
Filing Date: 2006-05-23
Classification: G01N,G06K,G06N

Abstract:
1. A system for evaluating parameters of a semiconductor wafer or wafer set comprising: a source which generates a probe beam which is transmitted through a lens and onto a semiconductor wafer; a detector which detects the probe beam after it is reflected off the semiconductor wafer, and the detector outputs signals based on the probe beam reflected of the semiconductor wafer; a processor coupled to the detector to receive the signals; and wherein the processor is operable to generate measurement data, based on the received signals, for multiple points on the semiconductor wafer or wafer set, and to define multiple domains, wherein a domain has corresponding measured data, and to determine an optimum group of parameter values for each domain, wherein to determine the optimum group for each domain the processor is operable to: associate different sets of theoretical semiconductor wafer parameter values with each domain; compare a first set of theoretical measurement data, derived from a first set of theoretical semiconductor wafer parameter values associated with a domain, to the measured data corresponding to the domain; and generate a new set of theoretical semiconductor wafer parameter values to be associated with the domain based on the comparing in a manner so as to associate increasingly more optimal theoretical semiconductor wafer parameter values with the domain, wherein the generation of the new set of theoretical semiconductor parameter values includes migrating at least one theoretical semiconductor parameter value from a set of theoretical semiconductor parameter values that has been associated with a different domain.