This paper reviews sampling techniques for inspectionin semiconductor manufacturing. We discuss the strengthsand weaknesses of techniques developed in the last last 20 yearsfor excursion monitoring (when a process or machine falls outof specifications) and control. Sampling techniques are classifiedinto three main groups: static, adaptive, and dynamic. Foreach group, a classification is performed per year, approach,and industrial deployment. A comparison between the groupsindicates a complementarity strongly linked to the semiconductorenvironment. Benefits and drawbacks of each group are discussed,showing significant improvements from static to dynamicthrough adaptive sampling techniques. Dynamic sampling seemsto be more appropriate for modern semiconductor plants.