Determining lithographic set point using optical proximity correction verification simulation

A computer system comprising:

• at least one computing device configured to determine a lithographic tool set point for a lithographic process by performing actions comprising:
• providing a model of a production lithographic process including simulations of printed shapes;
• analyzing the model of the production lithographic process to determine whether a set of structures on a production mask used in the production lithographic process to create the printed shapes will fail under a plurality of set points, wherein the analyzing includes:
• determining that a set point in the plurality of set points is a pass point;
• establishing the pass point as an inner limit for at least one process condition;
• and
• testing another set point in the plurality of set points outside the inner limit to determine if the another set point is another pass point;
• determining an operating region of set points where the set of structures on the production mask does not fail;
• and
• establishing a set point location within the operating region based upon a set point selection function.

A computer program comprising program code embodied in at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method for determining a lithographic tool set point for a lithographic process, the method comprising:

• providing a model of a production lithographic process including simulations of printed shapes;
• analyzing the model of the production lithographic process to determine whether a set of structures on a production mask used in the production lithographic process to create the printed shapes will fail under a plurality of set points, wherein the analyzing includes:
• determining that a set point in the plurality of set points is a failure point;
• establishing the failure point as an outer limit for at least one process condition;
• and
• testing another set point in the plurality of set points within the outer limit to determine if the another set point is another failure point;
• determining an operating region of set points where the set point of structures on the production mask does not fail;
• and
• establishing a set point location within the operating region based upon a set point selection function.