Patent ID: 8321818
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method, in a data processing system, for model-based retargeting of photolithographic layouts, the method comprising: performing, by a processor in the data processing system, optical proximity correction on a set of target patterns provided by a designer in order to produce a set of optical proximity correction mask shapes; generating, by the processor, a set of lithographic contours for each of the set of optical proximity correction mask shapes; performing, by the processor, an optical rule check on each of the set of lithographic contours to compare the set of lithographic contours to the set of target patterns; responsive to identifying errors in the set of lithographic contours during the optical rule check, modifying, by the processor, at least one target shape in the set of target patterns provided by the designer based on the errors in order to produce a set of modified target shapes; performing, by the processor, the optical proximity correction on the set of modified target shapes in order to produce a set of modified optical proximity correction mask shapes; generating, by the processor, a set of modified lithographic contours for each of the set of modified optical proximity correction mask shapes; performing, by the processor, the optical rule check on each of the set of modified lithographic contours to compare the set of modified lithographic contours to the set of target patterns; and repeating, by the processor, the modifying the at least one target shape in the set of target patterns provided by the designer based on the errors, performing optical proximity correction on the set of modified target patterns, generating of the set of modified lithographic contours; and performing of the optical rule check on each of the set of modified lithographic contours steps until the optical rule check fails to identify any errors.