Method of generating a set of defect candidates for wafer

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program code, the computer program code being arranged to cause a hardware processor to:

• generate a filtration area for a wafer manufactured based on a mask, the mask including a plurality of layout areas;
• and
• generate a set of filtered defect candidates by filtering out a subset of initial defect candidates located within the filtration area,
• wherein the plurality of layout areas comprises a layout area including a layout design of a digital circuit clock, an analog circuit block, a memory circuit block, a power-device circuit block, or an intellectual property (IP) circuit block.

A method of generating a boundary area between a first layout area and a second layout area of a mask, a first peripheral edge of the first layout area being arranged to be adjacent to the second layout area on the mask, the method comprising:

• expanding, by a hardware processor, the first layout area by shifting the first peripheral edge of the first layout area outwardly by a first predetermined distance;
• and
• generating the boundary area by subtracting the first layout area from the expanded first layout area,
• wherein the first layout area or the second layout area comprises a layout design of a digital circuit clock, an analog circuit block, a memory circuit block, a power-device circuit block, or an intellectual property (IP) circuit block.