Abstract: In an example, a halftone screen is generated. A plurality of amplitude-modulated dot clusters is arranged in correspondence with a grid. Each of the amplitude-modulated dot clusters comprises a plurality of frequency-modulated dots.

Abstract: In one example, a first subset of a plurality of pixels in a halftone is determined to be associated with a first colorant. A second subset of the plurality of pixels in the halftone is determined to be associated with a second colorant, the second colorant being different from the first colorant. Pixel data associating a pixel in the plurality of pixels in the halftone with the first colorant and not the second colorant is generated when the pixel is included in the first subset and the second subset. Pixel data associating the pixel in the plurality of pixels in the halftone with the second colorant and not the first colorant is generated when the pixel is included in the second subset and not the first subset.

Abstract: In an example, a halftone screen is generated. A plurality of amplitude-modulated dot clusters is arranged in correspondence with a grid. Each of the amplitude-modulated dot clusters comprises a plurality of frequency-modulated dots.

Abstract: An inspection system, and a computer program product that stores instructions for: obtaining an aerial image of an area of the mask; wherein the aerial image represents an expected image to be formed on a photoresist of an object during a lithography process that involves illuminating the area of the mask, by a lithography tool; wherein the photoresist has a printability threshold; wherein the lithography process exhibits a process window that introduces allowable changes at pixels of the expected image that do not exceed an intensity threshold; and searching for at least one weak point at the area of the mask, which is either a local extremum point of the aerial image spaced apart from the printability threshold by a distance that does not exceed the intensity threshold or a crossing point of the printability threshold and being of a slope that is below a predefined threshold.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for evaluating a variation of a parameter of a pattern. The method includes processing data indicative of an aerial intensity image of at least a portion of a patterned article, and determining values of a certain functional of the aerial image intensity for predetermined regions within the at least portion of the patterned article. The values of the aerial image intensity functional are indicative of a variation of at least one parameter of the pattern within the at least portion of the patterned article or are indicative of a variation of at least one parameter of a pattern manufactured by utilizing the patterned article.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product for evaluating an evaluated pattern of a mask, the method includes: receiving multiple moments that represent an image of the evaluated pattern; wherein a size of information required for representing the multiple moments is substantially smaller than a size of pixel information that form the image of the evaluated pattern; and processing the multiple moments in order to determine at least one shape parameter of the evaluated pattern.

Abstract: A method for evaluating placement errors within a lithographic mask, the method includes: providing or receiving a reference result that represents a distance between a reference pair of points of a reference element; measuring, for each pair of points out of multiple pairs of points that are associated with multiple spaced apart elements of the lithographic mask, the distance between the pair of points to provide multiple measurement results; wherein differences between a measurement result and the reference result are indicative of relative placement errors; and determining relative placement errors in response to relationships between the reference result and each of the measurement results.

Abstract: A method for evaluating placement errors within a lithographic mask, the method includes: providing or receiving a reference result that represents a distance between a reference pair of points of a reference element; measuring, for each pair of points out of multiple pairs of points that are associated with multiple spaced apart elements of the lithographic mask, the distance between the pair of points to provide multiple measurement results; wherein differences between a measurement result and the reference result are indicative of relative placement errors; and determining relative placement errors in response to relationships between the reference result and each of the measurement results.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for evaluating a variation of a parameter of a pattern, the method includes: processing data indicative of an aerial intensity image of at least a portion of a patterned article, and determining values of a certain functional of the aerial image intensity for predetermined regions within said at least portion of the patterned article, said values of the aerial image intensity functional being indicative of a variation of at least one parameter of the pattern within said at least portion of the patterned article or of a variation of at least one parameter of a pattern manufactured by utilizing the patterned article.

Abstract: A method, system and a computer program product for evaluating an evaluated pattern of a mask, the method includes: receiving multiple moments that represent an image of the evaluated pattern; wherein a size of information required for representing the multiple moments is substantially smaller than a size of pixel information that form the image of the evaluated pattern; and processing the multiple moments in order to determine at least one shape parameter of the evaluated pattern.