A layout file for an integrated circuit has drawn geometries. Variable fill geometries are added to local areas based on densities of the drawn geometries in windows associated with the local areas and on the global density of all the drawn geometries in the layout file. Each window has a separate local area associated with it. The densities of the variable fill geometries in the local areas are not all equal. Densities of the fill geometries are higher in local areas associated with windows having lower densities of the drawn geometries, and for lower values of the global density. The layout file is stored in a computer-readable medium which may be used to produce a photomask for manufacturing an integrated circuit.

Provided is an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask manufacturing method of forming an optimum pattern on a wafer by efficiently reflecting a mask topography effect or a coupling effect between edges of a pattern and improving the accuracy of an EUV mask image. The EUV mask manufacturing method includes performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) method for obtaining EUV mask design data, transferring the EUV mask design data as mask tape-out (MTO) design data, preparing mask data based on the MTO design data, and completing an EUV mask by exposing an EUV mask substrate based on the mask data, wherein the performing of the OPC method applies a coupling filter to both a first case in which angles of an edge pair satisfy |θ1−θ2|=0, and a second case in which angles of an edge pair satisfy 0<|θ1−θ2|≤an angle tolerance.

A circuit includes a first transistor, a second type-one transistor, a first type-two transistor, a third type-one transistor, a fourth type-one transistor, and a fifth type-one transistor. The first type-one transistor has a gate configured to have a first supply voltage of a first power supply. The first type-two transistor has a gate configured to have a second supply voltage of the first power supply. The third type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with an active-region of the first type-one transistor. Third type-one transistor has a second active-region and a gate conductively connected to each other. The fifth type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with the gate of the third type-one transistor and has a second active-region configured to have a first supply voltage of a second power supply. The fifth type-one transistor is configured to be at a conducting state.

A circuit includes a first transistor, a second type-one transistor, a first type-two transistor, a third type-one transistor, a fourth type-one transistor, and a fifth type-one transistor. The first type-one transistor has a gate configured to have a first supply voltage of a first power supply. The first type-two transistor has a gate configured to have a second supply voltage of the first power supply. The third type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with an active-region of the first type-one transistor. Third type-one transistor has a second active-region and a gate conductively connected to each other. The fifth type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with the gate of the third type-one transistor and has a second active-region configured to have a first supply voltage of a second power supply. The fifth type-one transistor is configured to be at a conducting state.

Computer implemented methods and computer program products have instructions for generating transfer functions that relate segments on lithography photomasks to features produced by photolithography and etching using such segments. Such methods may be characterized by the following elements: (a) receiving after development inspection metrology results produced from one or more first test substrates on which resist was applied and patterned using a set of design layout segments; (b) receiving after etch inspection metrology results produced from one or more second test substrates which were etched after resist was applied and patterned using said set of design layout segments; and (c) generating the transfer function using the set of design layout segments together with corresponding after development inspection metrology results and corresponding after etch inspection metrology results.

Computer implemented methods and computer program products have instructions for generating transfer functions that relate segments on lithography photomasks to features produced by photolithography and etching using such segments. Such methods may be characterized by the following elements: (a) receiving after development inspection metrology results produced from one or more first test substrates on which resist was applied and patterned using a set of design layout segments; (b) receiving after etch inspection metrology results produced from one or more second test substrates which were etched after resist was applied and patterned using said set of design layout segments; and (c) generating the transfer function using the set of design layout segments together with corresponding after development inspection metrology results and corresponding after etch inspection metrology results.

An integrated circuit includes a first region corresponding to a first circuit and including a first dummy pattern and a first signal pattern which are spaced apart from each other by a width of a spacer in a conductive layer to extend in parallel in a first horizontal direction and a second region corresponding to a second circuit which is the same as the first circuit and including a second dummy pattern and a second signal pattern which are spaced apart from each other by the width of the spacer in the conductive layer to extend in parallel in the first horizontal direction. The first signal pattern and the second signal pattern are configured so that a first signal and a second signal corresponding to each other in the first circuit and the second circuit are respectively applied to the first signal pattern and the second signal pattern.

An integrated circuit includes a first region corresponding to a first circuit and including a first dummy pattern and a first signal pattern which are spaced apart from each other by a width of a spacer in a conductive layer to extend in parallel in a first horizontal direction and a second region corresponding to a second circuit which is the same as the first circuit and including a second dummy pattern and a second signal pattern which are spaced apart from each other by the width of the spacer in the conductive layer to extend in parallel in the first horizontal direction. The first signal pattern and the second signal pattern are configured so that a first signal and a second signal corresponding to each other in the first circuit and the second circuit are respectively applied to the first signal pattern and the second signal pattern.

A method, includes, in part, defining a continuous signal, defining a threshold value, calibrating the continuous signal and the threshold value from measurements made on edges of one or more patterns on a mask and corresponding edges of the patterns on a wafer, convolving the continuous signal with a kernel to form a corrected signal, and establishing, by a processor, a probability of forming an edge at a point along the corrected signal in accordance with a difference between the value of the corrected signal at the point and the calibrated threshold value. The kernel is calibrated using the same measurements made on the patterns' edges.

In order to solve a problem of conventional mask information adjusting apparatuses in which the data size of mask information that can produce precise exposure patterns is large, an mask information adjusting apparatus includes: a subject information acquiring unit that acquires pre-adjustment mask information containing a polygonal mask pattern; a processing unit that acquires the degree of influence of removal of each vertex or side of the mask pattern, on an exposure pattern that is generated using a photomask corresponding to the mask pattern, in association with the vertex or point, and simplifies the mask pattern by removing each vertex or side according to whether or not a predetermined condition regarding the acquired degree of influence is satisfied; and an output unit that outputs post-adjustment mask information containing the mask pattern that has been simplified by the processing unit.