We accept AutoCAD® DWG and DXF files up to version 2007.

Please construct your designs in Model Space, not Paper Space.

DXF files require less processing on our part, and therefore often go faster through the system.

Use layer 0 only for the insertion of BLOCKs.  Do not draw any entities on layer DEFPOINTS.  Draw all entities on any other layer.

Remove all POINT entities.

Remove all LINE, ARC, and POLYLINE entities that both begin and end at the same point and have no vertices in between - i.e. have zero length.

Remove all LINE, ARC, and POLYLINE entities that do not form, or cannot be readily joined to form, a completely closed boundary or polygon, or which are not otherwise part of the design.

Remove all redundant and/or coincident entities.

Remove all HATCH entities.

Purge all unused BLOCKs, LAYERs, and other items from your drawing.

Remove all data that you do not want to appear on your photoplot or photomask; or if it useful reference data, please move it to a layer that is either labeled as "reference", frozen or turned off.

Close all gaps between the endpoints of all the LINE, ARC, or POLYLINE entities that are intended to form a continuous outline - making sure that the endpoint of each entity exactly matches the start point of the next entity.  Using the FILLET command set to a zero radius can help here.

Join all LINE and ARC entities that make up a single continuous boundary into a single closed zero-width POLYLINE outline.  (The PEDIT and BOUNDARY commands are useful for doing this.)

CIRCLE, SOLID/PLANE, and TRACE entities are OK.

We process LWPOLYLINE entities in exactly the same way as we do for POLYLINE entities.

Tapered PLINES are accepted, so long as you make us aware of their presence.  They require special settings to be used during conversion.

SPLINE entities are now accepted.  SPLINES are converted into segmented arcs using straight line segments.  The accuracy of the conversion depends upon the radius tolerance that we use to govern the conversion, which we typically set at 50 nm.

ARC's and curved PLINES are converted to segmented arcs in the same way that SPLINE entities are processed, as described above.

CIRCLE entities are maintained as is.  In other words, they are converted to round pads.

Use BLOCKS (and/or nested BLOCKS) whenever possible in order to conserve file size.

We do not recommend using "convoluted", or self-intersecting POLYLINEs.  ("Butterfly" targets are often the culprit here.)  Each section of such entities should be separated into its own closed zero-width POLYLINE outline.

Processing TEXT:

All entities, including TEXT and MTEXT, that have extrusion values other than 1.0 (or that have any extrusion value associated with them) pose significant problems for our data converters.  Extruded (or any other 3-D) entities are not recommended.   Be sure to replace all such extruded data with entities that have no extruded values.   All data must be parallel to the current UCS plane.

If you have features that are completely surrounded by other features on the same layer, and if you want the inner features to have the opposite tone as the features surrounding them, we consider this to be a design error - unless it is pointed out to us that we need to do something to prepare the data in these areas.  To help eliminate the occurrence of this type of problem, we recommend the use of either one of the following two design techniques: (1) for laser photoplots please separate the areas that are to be dark from areas that are to be clear by putting them onto different layers, and name the layers so that the order of the "paint & scratch" operations is unmistakable, or (2) for photomasks please construct new features that cover only the areas in between the nested features.  Click here to see an illustration of our recommended construction technique for Nested Boundaries/Polygons.

For data that is on several layers which are intended to be combined into a composite image or photoplot, please specify the order in which the layers are to be processed, and whether or not each layer should be clear or dark.

Please specify the data units with your order.  We recommend using at least 4 or 5 decimal places if working in inches, and 3 or 4 decimal places if working in millimeters.  Our photoplotter accepts data having up to 6 decimal places in inches or in mm.  We can process data in just about any units, so long as you tell us what those units are.

Data Extents: Please keep all data within +/- 55 inches (+/- 1400 mm) of the X/Y origin.

Layer names should not exceed 15 characters.

Whenever possible, please use a 1:1 scale for all inserted blocks.  Other scale factors often have a adverse affect on the conversion of curved features to the segmented arcs that we use for plotting.

REGION entities, and Boolean operations between them (subtraction, intersection, ...) are allowed, but they require special processing.  Please let us know if you've used REGION entities in your design.

LINE thickness is ignored.

The following entities are ignored by our converters: SHAPE, POINTS, 3DPOLY, ATTDEF, 3DFACE, HATCH, MLINE, RAY, RTEXT, TOLERANCE, WIPEOUT, POLYFACE MESH and XLINE.

We recommend the use of either 274-X, F9000/MDA, or DPF data formats, using embedded apertures, and subfigures as needed.  (274-D files with separate aperture list files can be processed, but not without the possibility of introducing some sort of input or conversion error, especially for custom apertures.)

Subfigures (Step and Repeat data) can be just about any size and shape, whereas custom apertures must fit with about a 1" to 2" inch square area.  Subfigures may be generated from panelized Gerber data, inserted DWG/DXF BLOCK entities, or from GDSII structures or cell placements.

For 274-X data, there is a limit to the total number of arrayed subfigure placements at about 512.

For F9000/MDA data, the limit of arrayed subfigure placements is about 50,000.

There is no known limit for arrayed subfigure placements in DPF data, except that at times we must convert DPF data to either 274-X or F9000 data prior to plotting, depending upon the type of plotter used.

We recommend that the designer preview the Gerber data in their preferred Gerber Viewer/Editor, in order to make sure that the data looks exactly like what it is intended to look like before it is sent to us.  (There are several free software packages available on the market that can be used just for this purpose.)

We can process polygons/boundaries without a limit to the number of vertices on each.

We can process a nearly unlimited number of cell placements and nested cells in each data file.

DXF/DWG circles, arcs and other curves will be converted to segmented entities before creating the photomask or photoplot.  Please specify the tolerance on the radius or entity width that you need for us to meet.  Unless otherwise specified, we will use a 50 nm radius tolerance.

Donuts created from DWG/DXF data will not close properly at the start/end point.  Please use a closed zero-width boundary/polyline instead, as roughly shown here.

If you have boundaries that are completely surrounded by other boundaries on the same layer, and if you want the inner boundaries to have the opposite tone as the outer boundaries, this will be considered to be a design error unless it is pointed out to us that something needs to be done on our part to prepare the data in these areas.  Click here to see an illustration of our recommended construction technique for Nested Boundaries/Polygons.

For data that is on several layers which are intended to be combined into a composite image or photoplot, please specify the order in which the layers are to be processed, and whether or not each layer should be clear or dark.

Digitized Dark (Clear Field) = opaque entities (pads, boundaries, etc.).
Digitized Clear (Dark Field) = clear entities (pads, boundaries, etc.).
"Field" refers to everything but the entities (or digitized data).

RRCU (Right Reading Chrome Up) = Not Mirrored by IPC.
RREU (Right Reading Emulsion Up) = Normal; Not Mirrored by IPC.
RRCD (Right Reading Chrome Down) = Mirrored by IPC.
RRED (Right Reading Emulsion Down) = Reversed; Mirrored by IPC.
(Note: These definitions will apply whether there is text or not, and especially applies if there is text that reads both ways on the same photomask [and yes, we've seen this happen].  These will be verified by the customer's examination of check plots prior to manufacturing.)

Inspection Criteria

Defects & Repair