Patent for Sale

Pattern generation method and apparatus using cached cells of hierarchical data

Pattern generation method and apparatus using cached cells of hierarchical data

Overview

A pattern generation method and system in which hierarchical image data (determining a pattern to be imaged on a target) is received at a graphics engine having a memory, at least one cell determining a repeated feature or set of features of the pattern is stored in the memory, and beam control data is generated in response to the image data. The image data includes residual data including at least two subroutine call commands for each cell stored in the memory. In response to each subroutine call command, the graphics engine retrieves a cell (identified by the command) from the memory, and asserts beam control data that determines a feature or feature set determined by the cell to be imaged at (or beginning at) a location on the target identified by the command. The subroutine call commands can be distributed throughout the image data, including in at least one cell to be cached as well as in the residual data. Preferably, the graphics engine caches each cell of the image data.