Patent Document ID: 8245159
Application ID: 12536090
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method, in a data processing system, for optimizing a photolithograph mask, the method comprising: receiving, by the data processing system, a given target pattern; generating, by the data processing system, an initial fictitious mask; selecting, by the data processing system, an initial value of α 2 , wherein the initial value of α 2 is used to determine a light intensity and a wafer image; determining, by the data processing system, the light intensity for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask; determining, by the data processing system, the wafer image for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask; determining, by the data processing system, if a convergence has been achieved by comparing the wafer image generated from the fictitious mask to the given target pattern; responsive to a convergence of the wafer image generated from the fictitious mask to the given target pattern, generating, by the data processing system, a final mask to use to transfer an image to a wafer; responsive to the wafer image generated from the fictitious mask converging with the given target pattern, determining, by the data processing system, whether the initial value of α 2 is either within a predetermined range of a predetermined value or equal to the predetermined value; responsive to the initial value of α 2 failing to be within the predetermined range of the predetermined value or equal to the predetermined value, increasing, by the data processing system, the initial value of α 2 thereby forming an increased value of α 2 ; and repeating, by the data processing system, the steps of determining the light intensity for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask, determining the wafer image for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask, and determining if the convergence has been achieved by comparing the wafer image generated from the initial fictitious mask to the given target pattern with the increased value of α 2 and any subsequent increased value of α 2 until the increased value of α 2 is within the predetermined range of the predetermined value or equal to the predetermined value.