Abstract: At least a groove for separating a semiconductor substrate into a first region of a relatively large area and a second region of a relatively small area is formed. An insulating film is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate including the interior of the groove. The insulating film is etched using an etching mask having a lattice window pattern in such a manner that openings corresponding to the lattice window pattern are formed in the first region. As an alternative, openings corresponding to a single opening pattern are formed in the first region using an etching mask having the single opening pattern and the lattice window pattern, and the insulating film is etched in such a manner that openings corresponding to the lattice window pattern are formed in the second region. In both cases, the remaining insulating film is polished off.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to carry out layout compaction in which optical proximity effect is taken account of the irregularly disposed layout patterns also contained within circuit design data to increase the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to carry out layout compaction in which optical proximity effect is taken account of the irregularly disposed layout patterns also contained within circuit design data to increase the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to carry out layout compaction in which optical proximity effect is taken account of the irregularly disposed layout patterns also contained within circuit design data to increase the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to carry out layout compaction in which optical proximity effect is taken account of the irregularly disposed layout patterns also contained within circuit design data to increase the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: In order that CAD processing time required for modifying an input design pattern to compensate for optical proximity effects is reduced, increases in the number of base shapes when corrected data are converted into EB data are restricted, and false detection of defects in a photomask inspection process is restricted, the following steps are taken. At a shape selection step, rectangular shapes are divided into a dense rectangular shape group and a non-dense rectangular shape group according to the distance of each rectangular shape to an adjacent rectangular shape. At a number-of-shapeas comparison step, the number of shapes included in the dense rectangular shape group is compared to the number of shapes included in the non-dense rectangular shape group to select either shape group for correction. At a correction process selection step, a correction process suited for the selected shape group is selected. At a shape correction step, optical proximity correction is made.

Abstract: A semiconductor device geometrical pattern correction process, semiconductor device manufacturing process and geometrical pattern extraction process are provided, which make it possible to eliminate the adverse effect of corner rounding accompanying miniaturization, that is, a decrease in the projection amount of a gate, while avoiding increased chip area. The correction process comprises a step 102 of detecting a concave diffusion layer corresponding portion and a step 103 of correcting either the concave diffusion layer corresponding portion or a transistor gate corresponding portion which projects from the concave diffusion layer corresponding portion in order to ensure the projection of the gate from the concave diffusion layer corresponding portion against possible corner rounding.