# US 12,216,981 B2 · System and method for generating layout diagram including wiring arrangement

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- Number: US 12,216,981 B2
- Document ID: US12216981B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/448,143
- Filed: 2023-08-10
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-16
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Fong-Yuan Chang; Chin-Chou Liu; Hui-Zhong Zhuang; Meng-Kai Hsu; Pin-Dai Sue; Po-Hsiang Huang; Yi-Kan Cheng; Chi-Yu Lu; Jung-Chou Tsai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216981B2

## CPC

- G06F 30/398: Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] (optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36)
- G06F 30/39: Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347)
- G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
- G06F 30/394: Routing (G06F30/396 takes precedence)
- G06F 2119/18: Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A system (for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement) includes a processor and memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the system generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of masks in a multi-patterning context, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining that the first candidate location results in an intra-row non-circular group of a given row which violates a design rule, the intra-row non-circular group including first and second cut patterns which abut a same boundary of the given row, and a total number of cut patterns in the being an even number; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks, the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;
wherein the at least one memory, the computer program code and the at least one processor are configured to cause the system to execute generating the layout diagram including:
placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer;
determining whether the first candidate location results in a group of cut patterns which violates a design rule; and
temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule; and
wherein:
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a first direction;
the group of cut patterns further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in a group of cut patterns which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the group are dispersed across the rows such that the group is multi-row group; and
checking whether a tally of cut patterns in the group is an odd number.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
each row, relative to a second direction, has first and second boundaries; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether each of first and second ones of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group, representing corresponding first and second border patterns, relative to the second direction, abuts a same one of the first and second boundaries of the row; and
checking whether the tally of cut patterns in the non-circular group is an even number.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
each row, relative to a second direction, has first and second boundaries; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether first and second ones of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group, representing corresponding first and second border patterns, relative to the second direction, correspondingly abut the first and second boundaries of the row; and
checking whether the tally of cut patterns in the non-circular group is an odd number.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a cyclic group such that the given cut pattern is included therein; and
the at least one memory, the computer program code and the at least one processor are further configured to cause the system to execute:
making a correction to the cyclic group including:
relocating the given cut pattern or one of the one or more other cut patterns in the cyclic group correspondingly at a second candidate location over one or more corresponding portions of one or more of the given conductive pattern or the other conductive patterns in the metallization layer resulting in a revised cyclic group;
determining whether the second candidate location avoids violating a design rule, the determining being performed on a real-time basis; and
placing, if violation is avoided, the given cut pattern or at least one of the one or more other cut patterns at the second candidate location in the metallization layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:
a masking facility configured to fabricate one or more semiconductor masks based on based on the layout diagram; or
a fabricating facility configured to fabricate at least one component in a layer of a semiconductor device based on the layout diagram.

### Claim 6

A system for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks, the layout diagram is organized into rows extending in a first direction, the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;
wherein the at least one memory, the computer program code and the at least one processor are configured to cause the system to execute generating the layout diagram including:
placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer, the given cut pattern and other cut patterns extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
determining that the first candidate location results in an intra-row non-circular group of a given row which violates a design rule, the intra-row non-circular group including first and second cut patterns which abut a same boundary of the given row, and a total number of cut patterns in the being an even number; and
temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein; and
the generating (800) the layout diagram further includes:
making a correction to the non-circular group including:
relocating the given cut pattern at a second candidate location over the given conductive pattern in the metallization layer, relocating being performed on a real-time basis;
checking whether the second candidate location avoids violating the design rule, the checking being performed on a real-time basis; and
placing, if violation is avoided, the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the second candidate location.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns correspondingly at one or more revised locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer; and
the generating (800) the layout diagram further includes:
making a correction to the non-circular group including:
relocating at least one of the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group correspondingly to at least one revised location resulting in a revised non-circular group, the relocating being performed on a real-time basis;
checking whether the revised non-circular group avoids violating the design rule, the checking being performed on a real-time basis; and
placing, if violation is avoided, the at least one of the one or more other cut patterns at the corresponding at least one revised location.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a first direction;
each row, relative to a second direction, has first and second boundaries; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether first and second ones of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group, representing corresponding first and second border patterns, relative to the second direction, correspondingly abut the first and second boundaries of the row; and
checking whether a tally of cut patterns in the non-circular group is an odd number.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a second direction;
each row is arranged with respect to a predetermined number of tracks, each track extending in a first direction; and
short axes of symmetry of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns of the non-circular group are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of one of the rows such that the non-circular group is an intra-row non-circular group.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in a cyclic group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the cyclic group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a first direction; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the cyclic group are dispersed across the rows such that the cyclic group is multi-row cyclic group; and
checking whether a tally of cut patterns in the cyclic group is an odd number.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
placement in the first candidate location also would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group includes first second, third and fourth non-circular groups;
the one or more other cut patterns are included correspondingly in the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups;
each row is arranged with respect to a predetermined number of tracks, each track extending in the first direction;
short axes of symmetry of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the first non-circular group are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of a first one of the rows such that the first non-circular group is an intra-row non-circular group;
short axes of symmetry of the one or more other cut patterns in each of the second, third and fourth non-circular groups are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of second, third and fourth ones of the rows such that each of the second, third and fourth non-circular groups is an intra-row non-circular group;
the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups are located in three of the rows such that:
one of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups is located in a first one of the rows;
two of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups are located in a second one of the rows;
one of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups is located in a third one of the rows; and
the second row, relative to a second direction, is located between the first and second rows; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether a first tally of cut patterns in the first row is an odd or even number and that a second tally of the cut patterns in the third row is a corresponding odd or even number; or
checking whether a third tally of cut patterns in the second row is an odd number.

### Claim 13

A method of generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks, the layout diagram being organized into rows extending in a first direction, the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising generating the layout diagram including:
placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer, the given cut pattern and other cut patterns extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
determining that the first candidate location results in an intra-row non-circular group of a given row which violates a design rule, the intra-row non-circular group including first and second cut patterns which correspondingly abut first and second boundaries of the given row, and a total number of cut patterns in the being an odd number; and
temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein; and
the generating the layout diagram further includes:
making a correction to the non-circular group including:
relocating the given cut pattern at a second candidate location over the given conductive pattern in the metallization layer, relocating being performed on a real-time basis;
checking whether the second candidate location avoids violating the design rule, the checking being performed on a real-time basis; and
placing, if violation is avoided, the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the second candidate location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns correspondingly at one or more revised locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer; and
the generating the layout diagram further includes:
making a correction to the non-circular group including:
relocating at least one of the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group correspondingly to at least one revised location resulting in a revised non-circular group, the relocating being performed on a real-time basis;
checking whether the revised non-circular group avoids violating the design rule, the checking being performed on a real-time basis; and
placing, if violation is avoided, the at least one of the one or more other cut patterns at the corresponding at least one revised location.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a first direction;
each row, relative to a second direction, has first and second boundaries; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether each of first and second ones of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the non-circular group, representing corresponding first and second border patterns, relative to the second direction, abuts a same one of the first and second boundaries of the row; and
checking whether a tally of cut patterns in the non-circular group is an even number.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a second direction;
each row is arranged with respect to a predetermined number of tracks, each track extending in a first direction; and
short axes of symmetry of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns of the non-circular group are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of one of the rows such that the non-circular group is an intra-row non-circular group.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
placement of the given cut pattern in the first candidate location would result in a cyclic group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the cyclic group further includes one or more other cut patterns at one or more locations over one or more corresponding portions of one or more other conductive patterns in the metallization layer;
the layout diagram is organized into rows, each row extending in a first direction; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the cyclic group are dispersed across the rows such that the cyclic group is multi-row cyclic group; and
checking whether a tally of cut patterns in the cyclic group is an odd number.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein:
placement in the first candidate location also would result in formation of a non-circular group such that the given cut pattern is included therein;
the non-circular group includes first second, third and fourth non-circular groups;
the one or more other cut patterns are included correspondingly in the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups;
each row is arranged with respect to a predetermined number of tracks, each track extending in the first direction;
short axes of symmetry of the given cut pattern and the one or more other cut patterns in the first non-circular group are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of a first one of the rows such that the first non-circular group is an intra-row non-circular group;
short axes of symmetry of the one or more other cut patterns in each of the second, third and fourth non-circular groups are substantially aligned with corresponding tracks of second, third and fourth ones of the rows such that each of the second, third and fourth non-circular groups is an intra-row non-circular group;
the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups are located in three of the rows such that:
one of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups is located in a first one of the rows;
two of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups are located in a second one of the rows;
one of the first, second, third and fourth non-circular groups is located in a third one of the rows; and
the second row, relative to a second direction, is located between the first and second rows; and
the determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule includes:
checking whether a first tally of cut patterns in the first row is an odd or even number and that a second tally of the cut patterns in the third row is a corresponding odd or even number; or
checking whether a third tally of cut patterns in the second row is an odd number.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
fabricating, based on the layout diagram, at least one of (A) one or more semiconductor masks or (B) at least one component in a layer of a semiconductor device.