Method and apparatus for adaptive alignment

1. An inspection apparatus, comprising:

a controller having circuitry to cause the inspection apparatus to perform:

searching for a reference position in a database; and

in response to a determination that the reference position does not exist in the database:

defining a current lock position and an area enclosing the current lock position on a wafer image;

computing an alignment score of the current lock position;

comparing the alignment score of the current lock position with stored alignment scores; and

aligning the wafer image with a reference image based on the comparing.

2. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein aligning the wafer image with a reference image based on the comparing further comprises:

in response to a determination that the alignment score of the current lock position satisfies a threshold condition:

storing location information and the alignment score of the current lock position at the database to facilitate a determination of a reference position; and

aligning the area enclosing the current lock position with the reference image using the current lock position.

3. The inspection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the alignment score of the current lock position satisfies the threshold condition when the alignment score of the current lock position is higher than the stored alignment scores of positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position, the positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position being positions previously selected in relation to aligning the wafer image with the reference image.

4. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein aligning the wafer image with a reference image based on the comparing further comprises:

in response to a determination that the alignment score of the current lock position does not satisfy a threshold condition:

selecting a highest alignment score among the stored alignment scores; and

aligning the area enclosing the current lock position with the reference image using a lock position corresponding to the highest alignment score.

5. The inspection apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the threshold condition is not satisfied when the alignment score of the current lock position is lower than the stored alignment scores of positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position, the positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position being positions previously selected in relation to aligning the wafer image with the reference image.

6. The inspection apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the lock position corresponding to the highest alignment score is a location that is in a field of view and that is different than the current lock position.

7. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area enclosing the current lock position is a field of view.

8. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the area enclosing the current lock position is a portion of a field of view.

9. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment score of the current lock position and the stored alignment scores are determined based on a sum of squared differences in intensity:

S

⁢

S

⁢

D

=

∑

i

(

p

i

-

q

i

)

2

where p i q i denote pixel intensity values of a wafer image and a reference image, respectively.

10. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment score of the current lock position and the stored alignment scores are determined based on correlation coefficients between two images:

r

=

∑

i

(

p

i

-

p

_

)

⁢

(

q

i

-

q

_

)

∑

i

(

p

i

-

p

_

)

2

⁢

∑

i

(

q

i

-

q

_

)

2

where p i and q i denote pixel intensity values of the wafer image and the reference image, respectively, and p and q denote mean intensity values of the wafer image and the reference image, respectively, and r is a correlation coefficient.

11. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a size of the area enclosing the current lock position and a size of an area surrounding the reference position is within millimeter to nanometer scale.

12. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current lock position is defined based on a comparison of numbers of features existing at different regions of a wafer corresponding to the wafer image.

13. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current lock position is defined based on a comparison of numbers of pattern edges existing at different regions of a wafer corresponding to the wafer image.

14. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current lock position is located substantially at a center of the area enclosing the current lock position of a wafer corresponding to the wafer image.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions that is executable by a controller of a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising:

searching for a reference position in a database; and

in response to a determination that the reference position does not exist in the database:

defining a current lock position and an area enclosing the current lock position on a wafer image;

computing an alignment score of the current lock position;

comparing the alignment score of the current lock position with stored alignment scores; and

aligning the wafer image with the reference image based on the comparing.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein aligning the wafer image with a reference image based on the comparing further comprises:

in response to a determination that the alignment score of the current lock position satisfies a threshold condition:

storing location information and the alignment score of the current lock position at the database to facilitate a determination of a reference position; and

aligning the area enclosing the current lock position with the reference image using the current lock position.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the alignment score of the current lock position satisfies the threshold condition when the alignment score of the current lock position is higher than the stored alignment scores of positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position, the positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position being positions previously selected in relation to aligning the wafer image with the reference image.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein aligning the wafer image with a reference image based on the comparing further comprises:

in response to a determination that the alignment score of the current lock position does not satisfy a threshold condition:

selecting a highest alignment score among the stored alignment scores; and

aligning the area enclosing the current lock position with the reference image using a lock position corresponding to the highest alignment score.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the threshold condition is not satisfied when the alignment score of the current lock position is lower than the stored alignment scores of positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position, the positions that are located within the area enclosing the current lock position being positions previously selected in relation to aligning the wafer image with the reference image.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the lock position corresponding to the highest alignment score is a location that is in a field of view and that is different than the current lock position.