The present disclosure provides integrated circuit methods for target-based dummy insertion. A method includes providing an integrated circuit (IC) design layout, and providing a thermal model for simulating thermal effect on the IC design layout, the thermal model including optical simulation and silicon calibration. The method further includes providing a convolution of the thermal model and the IC design layout to generate a thermal image profile of the IC design layout, defining a thermal target for optimizing thermal uniformity across the thermal image profile, comparing the thermal target and the thermal image profile to determine a difference data, and performing thermal dummy insertion to the IC design layout based on the difference data to provide a target-based IC design layout.