Patent ID: 8594825

Claim:
A method of patterning a plurality of layers of a workpiece in a series of writing cycles in one or a plurality of write machines, applied when writing a first pattern on a first layer N of the workpiece, wherein a boundary condition for the available accuracy in fitting a second pattern for a subsequent layer N+1 to the first layer is determined; the method comprising the steps of: a. Receiving a priori information about the limitation in performing a limited transformation of the second pattern for said subsequent layer N+1; b. Calculating: i. a best fit transformation of the first pattern for the first layer N that renders a best fit to a preceding layer N−1 using alignment transformation available for writing on the first layer N, and ii. the deviation between a perfect fit and the best fit transformation; c. Calculating: i. a limited transformation applied in transforming the second pattern for the second layer N+1 to fit the orientation to said preceding layer N−1, d. Calculating the difference in the deviation between said best fit transformation and said limited transformation; e. Calculating a compensation of the best fit transformation by adding a selectable part of said difference in deviations; f. Calculating an adjusted first pattern comprising said compensation; g. Verifying that said adjusted first pattern is within alignment tolerances for the first layer N: h. Writing, if positively verified, said adjusted first pattern on said first layer N.