Method of implementing polishing uniformity and modifying layout data

A method of implementing polishing uniformity control for a material on a substrate to be polished, said method comprising:

• constructing an overburden distribution of a pattern on the substrate as a function of layout data of the pattern;
• identifying from the overburden distribution at least one area of the pattern as a function of overburden that has an overburden lower than a threshold amount, the at least one area further being of a given density;
• and
• modifying the layout data as a function of the at least one area, wherein modifying the layout data includes adding slots to the at least one area and concurrently maintaining a density of the at least one area to be substantially the same subsequent to modifying the layout data of the pattern.

A method for modifying layout data of a material on a substrate for improving a polishing uniformity of the material on the substrate during a polishing of the same, said method comprising:

• identifying at least one location within the layout data having wide lines;
• identifying, as a function of the at least one location of wide lines, wide lines collected together;
• determining whether the wide lines collected together have an overburden below a given threshold;
• and
• responsive to a determination that the wide lines collected together have an overburden below the given threshold, modifying the layout to have a larger overburden while maintaining a substantially same density of the wide lines collected together.

A method of modifying a layout design of a material on a substrate for improving a polishing uniformity of the same, said method comprising:

• performing one of blurring and defocusing of an overburden distribution of the layout data to provide a modified overburden distribution of a layout data;
• determining from the modified overburden distribution of the layout data whether the modified overburden distribution of the layout data contains at least one area having an overburden density transition greater than a threshold amount;
• and
• responsive to a determination that the modified overburden distribution of the layout data contains at least one area having a transition greater than the threshold amount, modifying the layout data to reduce the transition within the at least one area having the transition greater than the threshold amount.

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprising:

• providing layout data comprising
• an overburden distribution;
• a first area having a first density, at least one conductive feature, and a first ratio of conductive feature edges to the first area, wherein the first ratio is less than approximately 0.5 microns per microns squared;
• and
• a second area having a second density, wherein the second density is less than the first density and a difference between the first density and the second density is greater than approximately thirty percent (30%);
• performing one of blurring and defocusing of the overburden distribution of the layout data to provide a modified overburden distribution of the layout data;
• determining from the modified overburden distribution of the layout data whether a transition in overburden value between the first area and the second area is greater than a threshold amount;
• and
• modifying the at least one conductive feature in the first area to create a second ratio of conductive feature edges to the first area, wherein the second ratio is greater than approximately 0.5 microns per microns squared.