METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE STRUCTURE OF A MASK FOR MICROSTRUCTURING SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATES BY MEANS OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY

摘要

The invention relates to a method to be carried out on a computer, whereby first design data relating to a semiconductor substrate is read in, and a mask image in the form of a data structure having contact holes and auxiliary structures is produced on the computer system, on the basis of said data. Contact hole biases are determined using an optical proximity correction method and the contact holes concerned are corrected on the basis of said contact hole biases. By subsequently simulating the reproduction of the mask image on the semiconductor substrate, auxiliary structures formed in an undesired manner and contact holes deviating from specified tolerances are detected and corrected on the semiconductor substrate. A mask bias is used during the simulation of the reproduction of the mask image in order to compensate three-dimensional mask effects. A real mask can be produced on the basis of the mask image determined in this way.