Abstract: Disclosed are techniques and apparatus for accounting for differing levels of defect susceptibility in different pattern areas of a reticle in an inspection of such reticle or in inspection of a semiconductor device fabricated from such reticle. In general terms, two or more areas of a reticle are analyzed to quantify each area's susceptibility to defects on the final semiconductor product. That is, each reticle area is analyzed and given a quantified defect susceptibility value, such as a MEEF (mask error enhancement factor) value. Such analysis includes analysis of an image that is estimated to result from the lithography tool which is to be utilized to expose semiconductor devices with the reticle. The defect susceptibility value generally depends on the reticle area's density and whether the correspond area of the estimated lithography image has intensity values which are proximate to an exposure threshold for a particular resist material to be used on the final semiconductor device.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for detecting defects in reticle design data are provided. One method includes generating a first simulated image illustrating how the reticle design data will be printed on a reticle using a reticle manufacturing process. The method also includes generating second simulated images using the first simulated image. The second simulated images illustrate how the reticle will be printed on a wafer at different values of one or more parameters of a wafer printing process. The method further includes detecting defects in the reticle design data using the second simulated images. Another method includes the generating steps described above in addition to determining a rate of change in a characteristic of the second simulated images as a function of the different values. This method also includes detecting defects in the reticle design data based on the rate of change.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented methods are provided. One method for generating a process for inspecting reticle layout data includes identifying a first region in the reticle layout data. A printability of the first region is more sensitive to changes in process parameters than a printability of a second region in the reticle layout data. The method also includes assigning one or more inspection parameters to the first region and the second region such that the first region will be inspected during the process with a higher sensitivity than the second region. Another method includes inspecting the first region with a higher sensitivity than the second region. An additional method includes simulating how the reticle layout data will print. Simulation of the first and second regions is performed with one or more different simulation parameters such that the first region is simulated with a higher fidelity than the second region.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for providing a virtual reality environment utilizing images from a lens on a display of a data processing system is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of images, each of the plurality of images including a plurality of parameters and optimizing the plurality of parameters for each of the plurality of images in accordance with a radial distortion model. The method and system also including generating the virtual reality environment of the plurality of images based upon the optimization of the plurality of parameters.