Field of view selection for metrology associated with semiconductor manufacturing

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon or therein, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:

• determine a set of candidate fields of view based on pattern groups of a pattern layout and a constraint on a characteristic of a given field of view, wherein the characteristic of a given field of view comprise a distance from the given field of view to another field of view and/or a size of the given field of view;
• and
• select one or more lists of fields of view for the pattern layout from the set of candidate fields of view according to prescribed criteria for combinations of fields of view included in the one or more lists for scanning electron microscope measurement, wherein the selection of the one or more lists comprises:
• assignment of fields of view including specific patterns to respective lists by application of a graph based elimination and graph coloring algorithm, wherein each list corresponds to a color;
• or
• assignment of fields of view including specific patterns to respective lists by application of an integer linear programming algorithm and graph coloring algorithm, wherein each field of view corresponds to a color,
• wherein the prescribed criteria comprises inclusion of an optimally diverse group of patterns in a predetermined number of lists of fields of view.