# US 2025/0147433 A1 · Field of view selection for metrology associated with semiconductor manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0147433 A1 - Document ID: US20250147433A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/834,131 - Filed: 2023-01-31 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-21 - Assignees: ASML Netherlands B.V. - Applicants: Asml Netherlands B.V. - Inventors: Tsung-Pao FANG; Been-Der CHEN; Wei-Yin LIN; Fei YAN; Meng LIU; Rencheng SUN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250147433A1 ## CPC - G03F 7/70655: {Non-optical, e.g. atomic force microscope [AFM] or critical dimension scanning electron microscope [CD-SEM]} - G01N 23/2251: using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM] - G03F 7/70491: {Information management, e.g. software; Active and passive control, e.g. details of controlling exposure processes or exposure tool monitoring processes} - G03F 7/706851: {Detection branch, e.g. detector arrangements, polarisation control, wavelength control or dark/bright field detection} - G01N 2223/611: patterned objects; electronic devices - G01N 2223/6116: semiconductor wafer - H10P 74/20: characterised by the properties tested or measured, e.g. structural or electrical properties - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Selecting one or more lists of fields of view of a pattern layout for scanning electron microscope measurement and/or other inspection. A set of candidate fields of view is determined based on pattern groups of a pattern layout and a constraint on a characteristic of a given field of view. The characteristic of a given field of view includes a distance from the given field of view to another field of view and/or a size of the given field of view. The one or more lists are selected 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. The prescribed criteria causes inclusion of an optimally diverse group of patterns in a predetermined number of lists of fields of view. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for selecting one or more subsets of fields of view of a pattern layout, the method comprising: determining, by a hardware computer system, a set of candidate fields of view based on pattern groups of the pattern layout; and selecting the one or more subsets of the fields of view from the set of candidate fields of view according to prescribed criteria and based on the pattern groups, wherein the prescribed criteria is for combinations of fields of view included in the one or more subsets for scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising grouping patterns of the pattern layout into the pattern groups, the grouping comprising pattern matching to produce the pattern groups. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more subsets corresponds to a field of view list. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method claim 1, wherein a subset of fields of view comprises a list of fields of view selected from the set of candidate fields of view. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more subsets comprises assigning fields of view including specific patterns to respective fields of view lists by applying a graph based overlapping elimination algorithm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the graph based overlapping elimination algorithm comprises a graph coloring algorithm, and wherein each field of view list corresponds to a color. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more subsets comprises assigning fields of view including specific patterns to respective fields of view lists by applying an integer linear programming algorithm to determine an optimally diverse group of patterns in a predetermined number of lists of fields of view, wherein the prescribed criteria is defined as constraint cliques. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of candidate fields of view is further based on a constraint on a characteristic of a given field of view, wherein the characteristic of a given field of view comprises a distance from the given field of view to another field of view and/or a size of the given field of view. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of candidate fields of view is further based on a generation method comprising matched instance pattern replacement for the set of candidate fields of view. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the matched instance pattern replacement comprises pattern matching of patterns in the pattern layout to produce pattern groups, and selecting an alternate pattern from the same pattern group to replace a pattern in the pattern group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of candidate fields of view is based on a generation method comprising field of view merging and/or shifting, wherein field of view merging and/or shifting comprises combining patterns from different pattern groups into a single candidate field of view. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein field of view merging and/or shifting is based on a proximity of patterns from different pattern groups to each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the prescribed criteria comprises a pattern group diversity metric or a pattern group criticality metric, wherein the pattern group criticality metric comprises a weight of a pattern group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of candidate fields of view based on pattern groups of the pattern layout comprises determining the set of candidate fields of view based on a list of pattern locations and matching information for the pattern groups. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the prescribed criteria causes inclusion of an optimally diverse group of patterns in a predetermined number of subsets of fields of view. ### Claim 16 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 selecting one or more subsets of fields of view of the pattern layout from the set of candidate fields of view according to prescribed criteria and based on the pattern groups, wherein the prescribed criteria is for combinations of fields of view included in the one or more subsets for scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to group patterns of the pattern layout into the pattern groups, the grouping comprising pattern matching to produce the pattern groups. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The medium of claim 16, wherein each of the one or more subsets corresponds to a field of view list. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The medium of claim 16, wherein selection of the one or more subsets comprises assignment of fields of view including specific patterns to respective fields of view lists by application of a graph based overlapping elimination algorithm or by application of an integer linear programming algorithm to determine an optimally diverse group of patterns in a predetermined number of lists of fields of view. ### Claim 20 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.