Patent ID: 8119308

Claim:
A photomask for the transfer of patterns to a substrate using an exposure unit, the photomask comprising: a plurality of main features arranged at positions corresponding to the patterns to be transferred to the substrate; a plurality of first sub-features associated with any of sides of the main features and arranged at positions spaced a predetermined distance from the associated sides; and a second sub-feature which is selected to replace two or more of said first sub-features at a position associated with the first sub-features when said two or more first sub-features form a mutually overlapping portion when arranged virtually, the second sub-feature replacing as a substitute said two or more first sub-features, wherein attributes of the second sub-feature are determined on the basis of attributes of the virtually arranged first sub-features associated with the second sub-feature, and wherein at least one of a size and a shape of a replaced position of the second sub-feature is different from a size or a shape or replaced position of the virtually arranged first sub-features associated with the second sub-feature.