Structures and methods for forming the same. The method includes providing
design information of a design layer. The design layer includes M
original design features and N original dummy features. The method
further includes (i) creating a cluster of P representative dummy
features, P being a positive integer less than N, (ii) performing OPC for
the cluster of the P representative dummy features but not for the N
original dummy features, resulting in P OPC-applied representative dummy
features, and (iii) forming the mask including N mask dummy features. The
N mask dummy features are identical. Each mask dummy feature of the N
mask dummy features of the mask has an area which is a function of at
least an area of an OPC-applied representative dummy feature of the P
OPC-applied representative dummy features. The N mask dummy features have
the same relative positions as the N original dummy features.