Patent ID: 8479125

Claim:
A method of building an image representation for use in semiconductor processes, applied to an imaging device that includes a radiation source and an optics device, comprising: (a) obtaining a set of source points that collectively represent the radiation source, each source point corresponding to a source region; (b) obtaining from a non-transitory computer-readable medium a mask function; (c) obtaining a projection function that is dependent upon at least one source point of the set; (d) combining the mask function with the projection function to obtain a combined result; (e) repeating (c-d) so as to encompass each source point of the set; and (f) aggregating at least some of the combined results to obtain the image representation; where the optics device further comprises a lens having a numerical aperture, and where the method further comprises performing optics enhancement by performing (f) plural times, each time for a different projection function, storing each resultant image representation, comparing each of the resultant associated image representations with a semiconductor mask design, and selecting a projection function based upon the comparing.