Patent ID: 7631286

Claim:
A method of directing a metrology tool to a measurement location of a test feature formed on a wafer in a pattern transferred from a mask onto said wafer, said method comprising: determining coordinates of at least one measurement location of said test feature on said wafer by manipulating mask data, CAD data, and lithography tool data, the mask data including field size of a mask image, width of a scribe line peripherally surrounding said mask image, center shift of said mask image relative to a mask origin, and test structure coordinates indicative of a test structure origin relative to said mask origin, the CAD data including test feature coordinate data indicative of a position of said test feature relative to said test structure origin, and the lithography tool data including a mask magnification factor; and automatically creating a metrology recipe including instructions that, by themselves, to direct said metrology tool to at least one said measurement location without said metrology tool optically referencing said test feature formed on said wafer; providing said metrology recipe to said metrology tool; said metrology recipe directing said metrology tool to said measurement location based only on said instructions; and said metrology tool automatically measuring said test feature at said measurement location.