Software aid for mask shop

Mask making is a very important part of integrated circuit fabrication. There has been a general trend towards a higher degree of automation in mask making. With the advent of VLSI, there is a need for facilities which can perform more complex jobs and need a minimum of user intervention. For many environments, it is important that the mask making facility be very flexible so that it can cater for a variety of jobs with a minimum of effort. In this paper we report a computer program which was developed to simulate several requirements of a mask making facility. It is also expected to lead to a more automated mask making shop.