# US 11,079,672 B2 · Method and system for layout enhancement based on inter-cell correlation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,672 B2 - Document ID: US11079672B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/538,654 - Filed: 2019-08-12 - Published: 2020-04-30 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-31 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. - Inventors: Wei-Lin Chu; Hsin-Lun Tseng; Sheng-Wen Huang; Chih-Chung Huang; Chi-Ming Tsai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079672B2 ## CPC - G03F 1/70: Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging - G03F 1/22: Masks or mask blanks for imaging by radiation of 100nm or shorter wavelength, e.g. X-ray masks, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] masks; Preparation thereof - G03F 1/36: Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes - G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light} - G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method and a system of performing layout enhancement include: providing a first design layout comprising a plurality of cells; updating a first cell in the plurality of cells using optical proximity correction to provide a first updated cell and a data set; updating a second cell from remaining cells in the first design layout based on the data set to provide a second updated cell; and manufacturing a mask based on the first updated cell and the second updated cell in the first design layout. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: providing a first design layout comprising a plurality of cells; updating a first cell in the plurality of cells using optical proximity correction in the absence of information on remaining cells in the first design layout to provide a first updated cell and a data set; generating a model based on a layout-dependent parameter of a second design layout; updating a second cell from remaining cells in the first design layout based on the data set to provide a second updated cell; and manufacturing a mask based on the first updated cell and the second updated cell in the first design layout, wherein at least one of the providing, updating, and manufacturing is executed by one or more processors, wherein the model comprises an input layer, a hidden layer and an output layer, and the hidden layer comprises nodes, wherein training the model comprises obtaining converged values of the nodes of the hidden layer, wherein obtaining converged values of the nodes of the hidden layer comprises: partitioning polygon contours of cells in the second design layout into edge segments; selecting a model type and number of layers for the model; and iterating a loop of providing information on edge segments before lithography enhancement and information on edge segments after lithography enhancement to the input layer and the output layer, respectively, until values of nodes of the hidden layer attains convergence in terms of a cost function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising manufacturing a semiconductor device using the mask. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein manufacturing a semiconductor device using the mask comprises transferring patterns of the mask to a semiconductor material using extreme ultraviolet light lithography. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells in the first design layout are arranged in an array, further comprising selecting a third cell having a minimal distance to a geometric center of the array as the first cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein updating a second cell from remaining cells in the first design layout comprises: partitioning a polygon of the second cell into a plurality of edge segments; deriving updated edge segments corresponding to the plurality of edge segments based on the data set; and providing an updated polygon constructed by the updated edge segments to replace the polygon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein updating a second cell from remaining cells in the first design layout further comprises updating the second cell based on the model. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the layout-dependent parameter comprises an exposure intensity value for edge segments of cells in the second design layout. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the layout-dependent parameter comprises pattern types and distances of neighboring polygons with respect to edge segments of cells in the second design layout. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the layout-dependent parameter comprises a distance between different cells in the second design layout. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein deriving updated edge segments based on the model comprises assigning information on an edge segment of the second cell as the input layer and obtaining information on an enhanced edge segment at the output layer with the hidden layer set as the converged values. ### Claim 11 A method, comprising: providing a design layout comprising a plurality of cells; performing a lithography enhancement operation on a first cell in the plurality of cells to provide a first updated cell in the absence of information on remaining cells in the design layout; deriving a data set based on the first updated cell for the first cell; providing a layout-dependent model comprising a mapping of cells before lithography enhancement and after lithography enhancement; updating a second cell in the plurality of cells by reshaping polygons of the second cell based on the data set and the layout-dependent model to provide a second updated cell; and manufacturing a mask based on the first updated cell and the second updated cell, wherein at least one of the providing, performing, deriving, updating, and manufacturing is executed by one or more processors, wherein the layout-dependent model comprises an input layer, a hidden layer and an output layer, and the hidden layer comprises nodes, wherein the providing of the layout-dependent model comprises: partitioning polygon contours of cells in a second design layout into edge segments; selecting a model type and number of layers for the layout-dependent model; and iterating a loop of providing information on edge segments before lithography enhancement and information on edge segments after lithography enhancement to the input layer and the output layer, respectively, until values of nodes of the hidden layer attains convergence in terms of a cost function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the data set includes a mapping of exposure intensity values of an edge segment and a topology surrounding the edge segment in the first cell to a location of an updated edge segment, corresponding to the edge segment, in the first updated cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising generating the layout-dependent model obtained based on after-development inspection contour images of patterns in the second design layout. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein updating a second cell in the plurality of cells further comprises performing the lithography enhancement operation without using light transmission or exposure models for lithography. ### Claim 15 A system, comprising one or more processors and one or more programs including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: provide a design layout comprising a plurality of cells; update a first cell in the plurality of cells using optical proximity correction in the absence of information on remaining cells in the design layout to provide a first updated cell and a data set; generate a layout-dependent enhancement model; update a second cell in the design layout based on the data set to provide a second updated cell; and manufacture a mask based on the first updated cell and the second updated cell in the design layout, wherein the layout-dependent enhancement model comprises an input layer, a hidden layer and an output layer, and the hidden layer comprises nodes, wherein the generation of the layout-dependent enhancement model comprises: partitioning polygon contours of cells in another design layout into edge segments; selecting a model type and number of layers for the model; and iterating a loop of providing information on edge segments before lithography enhancement and information on edge segments after lithography enhancement to the input layer and the output layer, respectively, until values of nodes of the hidden layer attains convergence in terms of a cost function. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the layout-dependent enhancement model is generated based on an artificial intelligent learning model. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to perform logical operations on the plurality of cells prior to updating the first cell. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the layout-dependent enhancement model is generated based on layout-dependent parameters of another design layout. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the data set includes a mapping of exposure intensity values of an edge segment and a topology surrounding the edge segment in the first cell to a location of an updated edge segment, corresponding to the edge segment, in the first updated cell. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein the updating of the second cell in the design layout further comprises performing a lithography enhancement operation without using light transmission or exposure models for lithography.