Patent Document ID: 6057063
Application ID: 08824700
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A process for creating and verifying a design of bright field and dark field phase-shifted masks capable of producing a provided chip design, said process utilizing at least one phase shift region employing a computer-aided design system, said process comprising the steps of: a) locating features in a design of the bright field or dark field phase-shifted mask that require phase shifting, including locating edges of the features; b) creating uncolored phase regions on opposite sides of the features by expanding the feature edges; c) ensuring proper phase termination of said phase regions based upon space constraints of a phase-shifted mask technique utilized; d) determining phases for said phase regions; e) determining whether coloring errors and un-phase-shiftable design features exist; f) applying mask process specific overlaps and expansions to prepare designed data levels for mask manufacture; and g) deriving a residual phase edge image removal design.