Patent ID: 9329472
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: G03F,G06F,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A method for producing a set of N masks for producing a structure via at least N photolithography operations, comprising: providing a set of N mask blanks possibly containing defects, N being an integer greater than 1; producing an individual map of positions of the defects in each mask blank using an inspection machine; producing a concatenated map of the defects in all of said N masks by transposing, to a given useful zone common to all the masks, the positions of the defects detected during mapping of the N mask blanks; defining individual defect zones each associated with a respective defect and encircling said defect; producing, depending on design rules and on the structure to be produced, an electronic version of layouts of the N masks, wherein the layouts are modified taking account locally, in the design rules, of the existence of each defect in the concatenated map in order to prevent critical elements from being placed in defect zones; and producing each of the N masks from any one of the N mask blanks and with a respective layout thus obtained.