Patent ID: 8132130

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of decomposing a target pattern having features to be imaged on a substrate so as to allow said target pattern features to be imaged in a multi-exposure process, said computer-implemented method comprising the steps of: identifying one or more factors of a particular lithography process to be utilized to image exposure masks corresponding to said target pattern in the multi-exposure process; generating, by the computer system, a set of decomposition rules based on said identified factors, wherein each decomposition rule corresponds to one or more predetermined characteristic categories of target pattern features, and wherein said set of decomposition rules collectively defines whether a given target pattern feature will be assigned to a first exposure mask or a second exposure mask according to said target pattern feature's predetermined characteristic category; and applying said set of decomposition rules to each of said target pattern features so as to assign each of said target pattern features to one of said first exposure mask or said second exposure mask.