Patent ID: 7157194
Filing Date: 2007-01-02
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for exposing a substrate with correction of the optical proximity effect, comprising: providing a circuit layout representing an integrated circuit to be formed on the substrate; creating a first and at least one second structure pattern in the circuit layout, which in each case have an assignment of structure elements to positions within a common idealized basic area; electronically storing the first and at least the second structure pattern in a data format; prescribing a lower limit value for a length of a serif, the serif to be added to a segment of an outer side of one of the structure elements in the electronically stored first structure pattern to compensate for the optical proximity effect; defining a partial area of the idealized basic area, the idealized basic area including at least one selected structure element of the second structure pattern ( selecting a segment of an outer side of at least one first structure element of the first structure pattern stored electronically in the data format, the segment having a position within the idealized basic area; comparing the position of the segment in the electronically stored first structure pattern with the partial area; determining a length of a serif dependent on the comparison result so that the length is less than the lower limit value; adding the serif to the segment of the outer side of the first structure element in the data format to form a first structure pattern which compensates for the optical proximity effect; exposing a mask with the compensated first structure pattern; and transferring and exposing the first structure pattern from the mask to the substrate with correction of the optical proximity effect.