Definition
Patterning and film metrology systems measure defined targets or product structures to estimate overlay, critical dimension, profile, film thickness, composition, stress, or other properties used for process control and wafer disposition.
Process position
Inputs
- Processed wafer
- Measurement recipe
- Target design
- Calibration model
Outputs
- Measurement dataset
- Wafer and field maps
- Correction or disposition input
How it works
- 01Load and identify wafer
- 02Align to measurement targets
- 03Acquire optical or electron signal
- 04Fit calibrated model
- 05Map results and feed control loop
Role in the production flow
Metrology converts physical structures into control variables. The reported number depends on target design, acquisition physics, calibration, model assumptions, sampling, and correlation to the device feature the process actually needs to control.
Optical or electron-based measurement equipment used to quantify layer alignment, feature dimensions, film thickness, and related process variation.
Boundary: The cited manufacturers document the equipment category and its intended uses; this record does not independently validate vendor performance claims or rank products.
Qualification and production boundaries
Method qualification must state measurand, target, reference traceability, accuracy and precision, model, sampling plan, tool matching, uncertainty, destructive or nondestructive status, and control-loop latency.
Method qualification must state measurand, target, reference traceability, accuracy and precision, model, sampling plan, tool matching, uncertainty, destructive or nondestructive status, and control-loop latency.
Boundary: Actual acceptance limits, recipes, throughput, availability, and ownership economics are product-, process-, site-, and contract-specific.
Sources
Citations support the tagged claims above. Access dates record when Maha Strategies last checked the public source.
- [1]Annual Report: Process Control and Yield Management · KLA · 2024 · accessed 2026-08-13
- [2]Annual Report: Inspection, Metrology, and Yield Analysis · KLA · 2019 · accessed 2026-08-13