Patent ID: 8513777

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for generating reticle data for forming a reticle, the method comprising: recognizing a non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region free from main chips in a process pattern, wherein each non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region includes an inter-wiring insulation layer but does not include a metal line; arranging a scribe region in the non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region to divide the non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region into a plurality of rectangular non-layout regions; generating a dummy pattern at a location corresponding to the scribe region between the plurality of rectangular non-layout regions, the scribe region being a linear segment that includes an end point at a certain vertex of the non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region and is orthogonal to a scribe line surrounding the non-rectangular-shaped non-layout region; and generating a dummy pattern in each of the rectangular non-layout regions to use as a dummy chip, wherein each rectangular non-layout region includes the metal line in the inter-wiring insulation layer after the dummy pattern is generated.