Hotspot correction method

A hotspot correction method comprising the following steps:

• S01:
• marking hotspot regions of a target layer in a layout design;
• wherein patterns in the hotspot regions are first target patterns;
• S02:
• marking extension regions of the target layer each enclosing a hotspot region in the layout design;
• wherein patterns in the extension regions are second target patterns;
• wherein regions outside the extension regions of the target layer are non-correction regions;
• S03:
• providing an original photomask comprising a first photomask pattern corresponding to the first target patterns, and a second photomask pattern corresponding to the second target patterns;
• S04:
• performing inverse lithographic technique to correct the first target patterns using the second photomask pattern as a reference pattern, so as to obtain a corrected first photomask pattern for the hotspot regions;
• S05:
• performing optical proximity correction to correct the second target patterns using the corrected first photomask pattern as a reference pattern, so as to obtain a corrected second photomask pattern for the extension regions;
• S06:
• determining whether the first photomask pattern is the same as the corrected first photomask pattern;
• if yes, turning to step S07, or else taking the corrected first target patterns as the first target patterns, and taking the corrected second target patterns as the second target patterns, and performing steps S04-S06;
• S07:
• determining whether the second photomask pattern is the same as the corrected second photomask pattern;
• if yes, turning to an end of the correction for all target patterns of the target layer, or else taking the corrected first target patterns as the first target patterns, and taking the corrected second target patterns as the second target patterns, and performing steps S04-S06.