Etch-modeling system and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using the same

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

• receiving an after cleaning inspection (ACI) scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a plurality of patterns, the plurality of patterns having first to Nth unique patterns (N is a natural number greater than or equal to two);
• performing sampling by selecting some unique patterns from among the first to Nth unique patterns;
• extracting edge placement (EP) data, the
• EP data corresponding to an edge of the ACI SEM image, the extracting from sampled patterns of the plurality of patterns corresponding to the selected unique patterns;
• performing etch modeling on the EP data, and
• validating the etch modeling by
• generating displacement differences between a result of an etching simulating operation and the ACI SEM image, and
• calculating a root mean squared (RMS) value on the basis of the generated displacement differences.

An etch-modeling system comprising:

• a layout processing system configured to provide layout data including a plurality of pieces of pattern data, the plurality of pieces of pattern data including first to Nth unique patterns (N is a natural number greater than or equal to two);
• and
• processing circuitry configured to calculate first to Nth density values of the first to Nth unique patterns and first to Nth populations of the first to Nth unique patterns by receiving the layout data,
• to perform sampling by selecting some unique patterns among the first to Nth unique patterns based on the first to Nth density values and on the first to Nth populations,
• to perform etch modeling on sampled patterns of the plurality of pieces of pattern data corresponding to the selected unique patterns, and
• to validate etch modeling by
• generating displacement differences between result of an etching operation and an after cleaning inspection (ACI) scanning electron microscope (SEM) image, and
• calculating a root mean squared (RMS) value on the basis of the generated displacement differences.