US Patent 9360768 Inspection method and apparatus

A method defines one or more monitoring target profiles, collects and stores initial calibration data of the metrology apparatus, compiling a library of spectra that would be observed from inspection of the monitoring target profiles using the metrology apparatus calibrated according to the initial calibration data. Some operations can be performed periodically, e.g., on a daily basis: obtaining current calibration data from the apparatus, modeling the effect of the current calibration data on the metrology apparatus operation, and using the result of the modeling and the contents of the library to determine any differences between one or more values of the initial calibration data and the current calibration data, and how these changes will be translated into changes in the measurement output for a given number of stacks and geometries.