OPTIMAL DETERMINATION OF AN OVERLAY TARGET

There are provided systems and methods comprising obtaining design data of each of a plurality of given overlay targets comprising a plurality of stacked layers, using at least part of the design data to simulate image data of each given overlay target that would have been acquired by an electron beam examination system, using the image data to determine, before actual manufacturing of each given overlay target, second data informative of estimated probability that each given overlay target, upon being manufactured according to the design data, provides measurement data in an overlay measurement process meeting a measurement quality criterion, and using the second data of each given overlay target to select at least one optimal overlay target among the plurality of different overlay targets, wherein the at least one optimal overlay target is usable to be actually manufactured on the semiconductor specimen.