Cut mask aware contact enclosure rule for grating and cut patterning solution

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory including computer program code for a program,
• the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the following;
• determine a feature overlapping a grating pattern of an integrated circuit (IC) design, the grating pattern including a plurality of grating structures;
• determine a shape of a cut pattern overlapping the grating pattern;
• and
• select one of a plurality of rules for the feature based on the determined shape.

A method comprising:

• determining a vertical interconnect access (VIA) overlapping a grating structure of a plurality of grating structures extending in one direction of an integrated circuit (IC) design;
• determining a shape of a cut pattern overlapping the grating structure;
• designating a cut of the grating structure indicated by the cut pattern as an inner or outer vortex based on the determined shape, the designation of inner vortex indicating a process variation extending the cut pattern outside a region indicated by the cut pattern and the designation of outer vortex indicating a process variation extending the cut pattern inside a region indicated by the cut pattern;
• and
• selecting, via at least one processor, a conservative or tight enclosure rule based on the designation of the cut, the conservative and tight enclosure rules defining first and second minimum distances, respectively, between the VIA and a line end of a contact structure for the VIA, wherein the first minimum distance is larger than the second minimum distance.