Method and apparatus for performing rule-based gate shrink utilizing dipole illumination
AssigneeASML Masktools B.V.
InventorsStephen D. Hsu, Noel Corcoran, Jang Fung Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of printing a gate pattern on a substrate comprising the steps of: identifying at least one area in the pattern in which one of the gate features overlays one of the active regions; reducing a width dimension of the one of the gate features at the location which the one of the gate features overlays the one of the active regions; extracting the gate features from the pattern; decomposing the gate features into a vertical component mask and a horizontal component mask; and illuminating the vertical component mask and the horizontal component mask utilizing dipole illumination.
Claims23
A method of printing a pattern on a substrate, which includes both gate features and active regions, said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying at least one area in said pattern in which one of said gate features overlays one of said active regions;
- reducing a width dimension of said one of said gate features at the location which said one of said gate features overlays said one of said active regions;
- extracting said gates features from said pattern;
- decomposing said gate features into a vertical component mask and a horizontal component mask;
- and
- illuminating said vertical component mask and said horizontal component mask utilizing dipole illumination.
A method of generating complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process, said method comprising the steps of:
- defining a pattern to be printed on a substrate, said pattern including both gate features and active regions;
- identifying at least one area in said pattern in which one of said gate features overlays one of said active regions;
- reducing a width dimension of said one of said gate features at the location which said one of said gate features overlays said one of said active regions;
- extracting said gates features from said pattern;
- and
- decomposing said gate features into a vertical component mask and a horizontal component mask.
An apparatus for generating complementary mask patterns for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process, said apparatus comprising:
- means for defining a pattern to be printed on a substrate, said pattern including both gate features and active regions;
- means for identifying at least one area in said pattern in which one of said gate features overlays one of said active regions;
- means for reducing a width dimension of said one of said gate features at the location which said one of said gate features overlays said one of said active regions;
- means for extracting said gates features from said pattern;
- and
- means for decomposing said gate features into a vertical component mask and a horizontal component mask.
A computer program product for controlling a computer comprising a recording medium readable by the computer, means recorded on the recording medium for directing the computer to generate files corresponding to complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process, said generation of said files comprising the steps of:
- defining a pattern to be printed on a substrate, said pattern including both gate features and active regions;
- identifying at least one area in said pattern in which one of said gate features overlays one of said active regions;
- reducing a width dimension of said one of said gate features at the location which said one of said gate features overlays said one of said active regions;
- extracting said gates features from said pattern;
- and
- decomposing said gate features into a vertical component mask and a horizontal component mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.