Patent ID: 8149383

Claim:
A method for determining the systematic error in the measurement of positions of edges of structures on a substrate resulting from the substrate topology and a coordinate measuring machine, wherein the substrate on a measuring stage is positioned in a plane on three support points, comprising the following steps: measuring a position in X, Y and Z coordinate directions at each of a plurality of positions on a surface of the substrate; tilting the substrate about an axis parallel to the X/Y plane of the coordinate measuring machine, to set a tilted position; measuring an edge position of at least one edge in the X, Y and Z coordinate directions at a plurality of positions of structures on the surface of the substrate at positions on the substrate which coincide with the positions on the substrate prior to tilting; determining a deviation of the lateral position of the at least one edge from the two measurements made at the same position on the substrate; and obtaining a correction value on the basis of the deviation determined from the two measurements made at the same position on the substrate, to minimize a deviation of the lateral position of the at least one edge.