Patent ID: 7585597

Claim:
A mask pattern data generating method of generating mask pattern data of a mask pattern to be depicted on a photo mask, based on a design pattern, for use in projection by an oblique incidence illumination, the method comprising: preparing mask pattern data which corresponds to a design pattern including a pair of line patterns formed of two line patterns adjacent to each other in a short edge direction; and disposing an auxiliary pattern which is un-transferable to a resist film at a center portion of a space region between the pair of line patterns, in which the disposing of the auxiliary pattern includes obtaining a shape of the auxiliary pattern which meets formulae in which a width in the short edge direction of the auxiliary pattern, a space width between the auxiliary pattern and one of the pair of line patterns, a wavelength of an exposure light emitted by a projection aligner using a photo mask at exposure, and a numerical aperture of a projection lens of the projection aligner are defined as parameters, and disposing the obtained auxiliary pattern at the center portion of the space region between the pair of line patterns, wherein, when the width in the short edge direction of the auxiliary pattern converted to the dimensions on the resist film is defined as Sw (nm), the space width converted to the dimensions on the resist film is defined as St [nm], the wavelength of the exposure light is defined as λ [nm], and the numerical aperture is defined as NA, the formulae are: 0.23 ≦Sw /(λ/ NA )≦0.35 St /(λ /NA )≧3.97 Sw− 0.74.