Patent ID: 6847460

Claim:
In a system wherein a template with selected patterns is used for identifying and analyzing by profilometric measurements regions of interest in a sample surface, and wherein the template contains a landmark pattern boundary conforming at least to a part of a corresponding landmark region boundary in the sample surface, a method for aligning the selected patterns in the template with the regions of interest in the sample surface comprising the following steps: (a) performing profilometric measurements at a plurality of pixels within a field of view containing said landmark region boundary in the sample surface; (b) utilizing said profilometric measurements to identify said landmark region boundary in the sample surface that conforms to said landmark pattern boundary in the template, said landmark region boundary being sufficient to characterize a position of the sample surface within the field of view; and (c) placing the template within the field of view with said landmark pattern boundary overlaying said landmark region boundary in the sample surface.