Patent ID: 8028254
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for determining manufacturability of a lithographic mask employed in fabricating instances of a semiconductor device, comprising: selecting a plurality of target edge pairs from mask layout data of the lithographic mask, for determining a manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, the mask layout data comprising a plurality of polygons, each polygon having a plurality of edges, each target edge pair defined by two of the edges of one or more of the polygons; determining the manufacturability of the lithographic mask by a computer, including determining the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, where determining the manufacturing penalty is based on the target edge pairs as selected, and where determining the manufacturability of the lithographic mask comprises using continuous derivatives characterizing the manufacturability of the lithographic mask on a continuous scale; and, outputting the manufacturability of the lithographic mask by the computer, where the manufacturability of the lithographic mask is dependent on the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, wherein determining the manufacturability of the lithographic mask, including determining the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, comprises: wherein determining the manufacturing shape penalty comprises evaluating where P and wherein P