Mask pattern generating method and mask pattern generating apparatus

摘要

Established is a mask pattern correcting technique for reducing the load to a mask CAD process and for ensuring the minimum dimension defined in an OPC process. A method comprises the steps of: measuring a line width of a mask pattern; extracting edges where the line width of the mask pattern is smaller than a predetermined dimension; generating a central geometrical object having a predetermined width relative to the center between the edges where the line width is smaller than the predetermined dimension; and replacing the portion of the mask pattern where the line width is smaller than the predetermined dimension with the central geometrical object. As a result, the mask pattern line width is changed into the predetermined with dimension of the central geometrical object. This reduces notably the number of geometrical object calculating steps that had been performed for each value of dimension on the basis of a correction table in the prior art, and thereby shortens the mask CAD processing time.