Apparatus for verifying pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for producing the same patterns regularly arranged on a substance

Claim 1

An apparatus for verifying unit pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging unit patterns on a substance, the unit pattern data including data regarding a base pattern and a frame pattern which surrounds the base pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the unit patterns adjacently to each other so that the frame patterns become overlapped regions between the base patterns, said apparatus comprising: means for producing, from the unit pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the unit patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and repeat process; means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern over than the overlapped regions; means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined pattern data, a visual image of the base patterns, the frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 2

An apparatus for verifying unit pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging unit patterns on a substance, the unit pattern data including data regarding a base pattern and a frame pattern which surrounds the base pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the unit patterns adjacently to each other so that the frame patterns become overlapped regions between the base patterns, said apparatus comprising: means for producing, from the unit pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the unit patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and repeat process; means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern over than the overlapped regions; means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined pattern data, a visual image of the base patterns, the frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 3

An apparatus for verifying chip pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging chip patterns on a substance for fabricating a photomask, the chip pattern data including data regarding a chip circuit pattern and a scribe frame pattern which surrounds the chip circuit pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the chip patterns adjacently to each other so that the scribe frame patterns become overlapped regions between the chip circuit patterns, said apparatus comprising: first data producing means for producing, from the chip pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the chip patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; second data producing means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; third data producing means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; forth data producing means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined pattern data, a visual image of the chip circuit patterns, the scribe frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 4

An apparatus for verifying chip pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging chip patterns on a substance for fabricating a photomask, the chip pattern data including data regarding a chip circuit pattern and a scribe frame pattern which surrounds the chip circuit pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the chip patterns adjacently to each other so that the scribe frame patterns become overlapped regions between the chip circuit patterns, said apparatus comprising: first data producing means for producing, from the chip pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the chip patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; second data producing means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; third data producing means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; forth data producing means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined pattern data, a visual image of the chip circuit patterns, the scribe frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 5

An apparatus for verifying chip pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging chip patterns on a wafer for fabricating IC devices, the chip pattern data including data regarding a chip circuit pattern and a scribe frame pattern which surrounds the chip circuit pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the chip patterns adjacently to each other so that the scribe frame patterns become overlapped regions between the chip circuit patterns, said apparatus comprising: first data producing means for producing, from the chip pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the chip patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; second data producing means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; third data producing means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; forth data producing means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined data, a visual image of the chip circuit patterns, the scribe frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 6

An apparatus for verifying chip pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process for regularly arranging chip patterns on a wafer for fabricating IC devices, the chip pattern data including data regarding a chip circuit pattern and a scribe frame pattern which surrounds the chip circuit pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the chip patterns adjacently to each other so that the scribe frame patterns become overlapped regions between the chip circuit patterns, said apparatus comprising: first data producing means for producing, from the chip pattern data, first pattern data regarding an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the chip patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; second data producing means for producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data regarding the overlapped regions and not-overlapped pattern data regarding regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; third data producing means for producing multiplied pattern data based on a logical multiplication of portions of said overlapped pattern data; forth data producing means for producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and means for producing, from said combined data, a visual image of the chip circuit patterns, the scribe frame patterns and the subsidiary patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 10

A method of verifying unit pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process which overlapping arranges unit patterns on a substance, the unit pattern data including data indicative of a base pattern and a frame pattern which surrounds the base pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the unit patterns adjacently to each other so that the frame patterns become overlapped regions between the base patterns, comprising the steps of: producing, based on the unit pattern data, first pattern data indicative of an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the unit patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data indicative of the overlapped regions, and not-overlapped pattern data indicative of regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; producing multiplied pattern data by pattern logical multiplication of two portions of said overlapped pattern data; producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and displaying, based on said combined pattern data, at least the base patterns and the frame patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.

Claim 11

A method of verifying unit pattern data used in a step-and-repeat process which overlapping arranges unit patterns on a substance, the unit pattern data including data indicative of a base pattern and a frame pattern which surrounds the base pattern and which includes subsidiary patterns, the step-and-repeat process arranges the unit patterns adjacently to each other so that the frame patterns become overlapped regions between the base patterns, comprising the steps of: producing, based on the unit pattern data, first pattern data indicative of an overlapped pattern which includes a designated number of the unit patterns arranged in accordance with the step-and-repeat process; producing, based on said first pattern data, overlapped pattern data indicative of the overlapped regions, and not-overlapped pattern data indicative of regions of said overlapped pattern other than the overlapped regions; producing multiplied pattern data by pattern logical multiplication of two portions of said overlapped pattern data; producing combined pattern data by combining said multiplied pattern data with said not-overlapped pattern data; and displaying, based on said combined pattern data, at least the base patterns and the frame patterns in accordance with the step-and-repeat process.