Patent ID: 6401236
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
A computer implemented method of eliminating side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, comprising the steps of:inputting the circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; organizing the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulating the environments to determine contours of the environments; determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments by determining whether a contour is associated with a circuit feature of the input design, and if a contour is not associated with a circuit feature, identifying the contour as a side lobe; placing an auxiliary feature within the environments at a location of each determined side lobe; and correcting each environment to form a corrected design and to ensure that circuit features of the corrected design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the auxiliary features eliminate side lobe printing from the mask.