Patent ID: 7711504

Claim:
A method for performing optical proximity correction, said method comprising: receiving a layout file by a computer system, wherein said layout file contains a plurality of polygons that represents integrated circuits desired to be manufactured on a wafer; determining by a processing unit within said computer system a maximum aerial image intensity gradient direction for a control point associated with a segment of a polygon within said layout file; determining by said processing unit a variational edge placement error E along said maximum aerial image intensity gradient direction of said control point; determining by said processing unit whether or not |C E ·n| is equal to or greater than a manufacturing grid, where n is a direction perpendicular to said segment pointing outward, and C is a value selectable by a user; in a determination that |C E ·n| is equal to or greater than said manufacturing grid, moving by said processing unit an edge of said segment by −C E ·n; and generating by said processing unit a target layout file for a mask writer after said |C E ·n| determination have been performed on all of said polygons within said layout file.