Photomask throughput by reducing exposure shot count for non-critical elements

A method comprising:

• providing a predetermined set of design data including a set of elements to be used for printing a given photomask pattern, the design data including both non-critical elements and critical elements;
• identifying which elements in the set of elements are critical elements and which elements in the set of elements are non-critical elements, wherein the design data further includes a pattern for printing the non-critical elements with a write tool, wherein the pattern results in at least one non-critical element overlapping at least one grid line of an operational grid of the write tool;
• reconfiguring the pattern of the non-critical elements into a reconfigured pattern such that the non-critical elements are aligned with the grid lines of the operational grid of the write tool;
• printing the critical elements using a first exposure parameter on the photomask;
• and
• printing the non-critical elements using a second exposure parameter on the photomask.

A computer program comprising program code embodied in at least one computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of reducing the number of exposure shots required for a photomask pattern, the method comprising:

• providing a predetermined set of design data including a set of elements to be used for printing a given photomask pattern, the design data including both non-critical elements and critical elements, at least one non-critical element having a shape requiring a predetermined number of multiple write tool shots;
• identifying which elements in the set of elements are critical elements and which elements in the set of elements are non-critical elements, wherein the design data includes a pattern for writing the non-critical elements, wherein the pattern results in at least one non-critical element overlapping at least one grid line of an operational grid of the write tool;
• and
• reconfiguring the at least one non-critical element into a reconfigured shape that the write tool can write with a number of shots less than the predetermined number, wherein the reconfigured shape has an area equal to an area of the respective at least one non-critical element, to reduce the number of exposure shots required for the given photomask pattern, and reconfiguring the pattern of the non-critical elements into a reconfigured pattern such that the non-critical elements are aligned with the grid lines of the operational grid of the write tool.