Patent ID: 7761178

Claim:
A method of controlling a fabrication cluster using an optical metrology system, the optical metrology system configure for measuring structures on a workpiece, the optical metrology system optimized using a plurality of design goals, the method comprising: determining a range of capabilities of the optical metrology system; determining primary components of the optical metrology system, the primary components having substantial impact to one or more design goals of a selected plurality of design goals; setting the selected plurality of design goals to a corresponding value or range of values; developing an initial design of the optical metrology system using selected primary components based on the selected plurality of design goals; developing a prototype of the optical metrology system using the selected primary components; collecting measured design goal data for the selected plurality of design goals using the optical metrology system prototype; if the plurality of measured design goals derived from the collected measured design goal data do not match the set plurality of design goals, modifying the initial design of the optical metrology system; and iterating the developing the prototype of the optical metrology system, collecting measured design goal data, and performing a new comparison of new plurality of design goals to the set plurality of design goals until there is a match of the new measured design goals to the set plurality of design goals; measuring a structure on a workpiece using the optical metrology system; extracting one or more profile parameters of the structure; transmitting at least one profile parameter of the structure to a fabrication cluster, the fabrication cluster having process parameters and equipment settings; and adjusting at least one process parameter and/or equipment setting of the fabrication cluster based on the at least one profile parameter of the structure.