Patent ID: 8656321

Claim:
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer program code embodied therein for enabling a computing device to generate datasets for photolithography operations, the code comprising instructions for: receiving a layout dataset representing features of a circuit; deriving a first dataset representing lines and connection features within the layout dataset; generating a first mask dataset from the first dataset, wherein the first mask dataset represents a first pattern comprising a first set of lines and a second set of lines, wherein the first set of lines and the second set of lines define wide spaces and narrow spaces, and wherein, during a spacer-etch process, the wide spaces define parallel line features such that spacer material remains closely adjacent to vertical surfaces and there is a space between adjacent spacers, and the narrow spaces define connection features such that spacer material remains within the narrow spaces, wherein the spacer material adjacent to each of the vertical surfaces of one of the narrow spaces is connected such that that narrow space is completely covered by spacer material; and generating a second mask dataset, wherein the second mask dataset represents a second pattern comprising portions of the spacer material to be further etched in order to trim the first pattern.