Patent ID: 8627242

Claim:
A method for making a photomask layout, the method comprising: providing a first graphic data of a photomask, wherein the first graphic data comprises a first line with a first line end target, a second line with a second line end target and a hole, the first line is aligned with the second line, and the first line, the second line and the hole partially overlap with each other; and performing a retarget step to the first graphic data, by using a computer, to obtain a second graphic data, wherein the retarget step comprises moving the first line end target and the second line end target in opposite directions away from each other, wherein the step of providing the first graphic data comprises: providing a circuit design layout, the circuit design layout comprising a straight line and the hole; and decomposing the straight line into the first line and the second line due to a pitch constraint and a corner-to-corner constraint, the first line, the second line and the hole partially overlapping with each other.