Patent ID: 7735053

Claim:
A correction method for design data or mask data, said method correcting design (layout) data or lithography mask data so that a resulting lithography mask forms a desired size of circuit pattern through a microfabrication process, the method comprising the steps of: (i) carrying out proximity effect correction at least including etching proximity effect correction with respect to design data or mask data; (ii) a first measurement step for exposing a resist using an evaluation mask including plural patterns varied in parameter value, a part of which is a critical pattern which becomes critical on process proximity effect correction, developing the resist exposed, and measuring a pattern size of the resist developed; (iii) a second measurement step for etching a circuit material using the resist having been developed, and measuring a pattern size of the circuit material after the etching; (iv) determining parameter numerical condition for preventing the design data or the mask data from being critical on process proximity effect correction, based on the pattern size of the resist and the circuit material measured in the first and second measurement steps; (v) extracting a pattern with a parameter not satisfying the foregoing numerical condition from the design data or the mask data as a critical pattern which becomes critical on process proximity effect correction; and (vi) correcting the design data or the mask data so that the critical pattern extracted have a parameter satisfying the foregoing numerical condition.