Patent Document ID: 8977034
Application ID: 13381629
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A pattern shape evaluation method of evaluating a circuit pattern using a data storage device which stores data, an arithmetic unit which processes data, an input device permitting a user to perform input processing, and a display device which displays image data, said pattern shape evaluation method comprising: reading out a design pattern used for double patterning and including at least two design patterns from said data storage device; reading out an image of a joint portion of circuit patterns fabricated using said design pattern for double patterning from said data storage device; setting a target boundary line specified along a direction of an edge of a joint portion of two circuit patterns which are jointed in design data as a target position in which said joint portion of said two circuit patterns should be disposed in said image of the joint portion of circuit patterns; setting an evaluation region specified for image processing to be performed in a next image processing step; performing image processing along a direction of said target boundary line in the evaluation region set on the image of the circuit patterns; performing binarization processing in said evaluation region after performing said image processing; and making a decision as to whether or not the circuit patterns have defects based on an image obtained after performing said binarization processing, wherein during said image processing, a moving average value of pixel values is computed along said target boundary line in said evaluation region and along a direction within ±45 degrees with respect to the direction of the target boundary line.