Patent ID: 8490033

Claim:
A method which directly incorporates patterning fidelity into design of a patterning apparatus, comprising: a target pattern and a set of exposure parameters of the patterning apparatus are received by a computer; a set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus is received by the computer; a first target value range of a target patterning fidelity and a first predetermined value of iteration number of the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus for adjusting the patterning apparatus are received by the computer; a production result of the target pattern is simulated by the computer according to the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus and the set of exposure parameters of the patterning apparatus to obtain a simulated pattern; the target pattern is compared with the simulated pattern by the computer to obtain a patterning fidelity; whether the patterning fidelity is within the first target value range or the iteration number of the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus is adjusted to reach the first predetermined value is determined by the computer; and when the patterning fidelity is not within the first target value range or the iteration number of the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus does not reach the first predetermined value, the values of the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus is adjusted by the computer according to the target patterning fidelity, so as to optimize the values of the set of design parameters of the patterning apparatus.