Photomask and integrated circuit manufactured by automatically correcting design rule violations in a mask layout file

This invention relates in general to the field of photolithography, and more particularly to a photomask and method for eliminating design rule violations from the photomask. A photomask and method for eliminating design rule violations from the photomask are disclosed. A photomask includes a substrate and a patterned layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate. The patterned layer may be formed using a mask pattern file created by comparing a feature dimension in a mask layout file with a design rule in a technology file, identifying a design rule violation if the feature dimension is less than the design rule and automatically correcting the identified design rule violation in the mask layout file.