One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that identifies
a problem edge in a mask layout which is likely to have manufacturing
problems. During operation, the system creates an on-target process model
that models a semiconductor manufacturing process under nominal process
conditions. The system also creates one or more off-target process models
that model the semiconductor manufacturing process under one or more
process conditions that are different from nominal process conditions.
Next, the system computes a process-sensitivity model using the on-target
process model and the off-target process models. The system then computes
an edge-detecting process-sensitivity model by convolving the
process-sensitivity model with an edge-detecting function which can be
used to detect edges in an image. Next, the system identifies a problem
edge in the mask layout using the edge-detecting process-sensitivity
model.