Patent Number: 
Section: abstract

Methods are disclosed for calculating cumulative exposure energy from a microlithography reticle, especially a reticle used for charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography. The methods provide an accuracy of results at least as high as conventional methods, but the subject methods can be performed using substantially less calculation time, even for complex patterns. The pattern features contained within a region and/or one or more size parameters of the region are evaluated according to specified rules. The region also is subdivided according to the specified rules. Subdivision produces subregions that also are evaluated according to the rules to determine whether to subdivide further or to cease further subdivision. The result is a branching structure for the region, containing multiple levels of subregions arranged in an hierarchical manner. As a result, e.g., a subregion distant from a cumulative-energy evaluation point (and that has little effect on the distribution position of elements therein) can be left relatively large, whereas a subregion near the evaluation point has a relatively large effect on the distribution position of the elements therein and hence is relatively small. From the branching structure, cumulative energy is calculated from the constituent subregions.