Abstract: A method is provided for making sublithographic structures, such as programmed defect masks. The method comprises the steps of forming a layer of base material on a substrate, the base material being selectively definable from the substrate, forming a layer of photosensitive material over the layer of material, selectively exposing a plurality of image segments in the photosensitive material in which segments are offset from each other by a sub-lithographic dimension in a first direction and a different dimension in a second direction and a sub-plurality of the segments pass over the layer of base material, and developing the photosensitive material to expose the layer within the sub-plurality of segments. Also provided is the resulting programmed defect mask with defects under 0.1 .mu.m in size.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting defects in the design of a photolithographic mask or a printed wafer. It derives an adaptive inspection algorithm that allows for a tighter inspection of a mask to a data set which has repeatable differences. The inspection should allow flexibility to remove un-important differences while maintaining a tight inspection capability.