Semiconductor design for improved detection of out-of-focus conditions

A method for detecting out-of-focus conditions during lithographic processing comprising:

• automatically measuring at a focus setting a gap formed within a semiconductor design patterned on a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor design having a central main body and at least one arm extending from sides of the central main body, each arm having a first one or more at least substantially triangular shapes and a disconnected second one or more at least substantially triangular shapes, a tip of the first one or more at least substantially triangular shapes positioned opposite a tip of the second one or more at least substantially triangular shapes, the gap formed there between;
• comparing the gap against a specification;
• and
• concluding that defocus has resulted where the gap is out of the specification.

A system comprising:

• a semiconductor test equipment having an automatic mode of defocus detection;
• a semiconductor design having a central main body and at least one arm extending from sides of the central main body, each arm having a first one or more at least substantially triangular shapes and a disconnected second one or more at least substantially triangular shapes, a tip of the first one or more at least substantially triangular shapes positioned opposite a tip of the second one or more at least substantially triangular shapes, a gap formed there between;
• and
• a semiconductor wafer on which the semiconductor design is patterned, the gap of the semiconductor design increasing as defocus increases, such that the automatic mode of defocus detection is able to detect when the gap is out of a predetermined specification, for concluding that unacceptable defocus has resulted.