Patent ID: 8103983

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of improving performance of an integrated circuit design, comprising: receiving a physical layout of the integrated circuit design by executing first instructions in a computer system; converting the physical layout into at least one mask design having a shape feature with a contour by executing second instructions in the computer system; simulating a photolithographic construction of a portion of an integrated circuit chip based on the mask design by executing third instructions in the computer system; extracting an electrical characteristic from the simulated integrated circuit chip which is affected by at least one fabrication variation arising from non-optical effects by executing fourth instructions in the computer system; establishing that the extracted electrical characteristic is not within a design specification by executing fifth instructions in the computer system; responsive to said establishing, modifying the contour to compensate for the fabrication variation by executing sixth instructions in the computer system; and storing the mask design with the modified contour in a storage device of the computer system.