Mask data preparation

A mask for defining a layer of material, said mask comprising:

• a mask substrate;
• a layout data file used to create a layout pattern on the mask substrate;
• said layout pattern comprising material or physical shapes for transfer of an image to a workpiece;
• and said layout pattern having at least one shape having at least one segment corrected for proximity effects, said such shape was defined before correction by fragmenting a polygon of the layout data file, based upon parameters of a manufacturing tool used for implementing the layout.

A method for manufacturing integrated circuits, said integrated circuits being defined by a computer readable layout file, the method comprising:

• receiving a polygon from the computer readable layout file, the polygon corresponding to a portion of the integrated circuit;
• performing using a data processor a fragmentation of the polygon into a set of smaller shapes, based upon parameters of a manufacturing tool used for implementing the layout;
• performing using a data processor a proximity effect correction of at least one of the smaller shapes in the set of smaller shapes to provide a computer readable corrected layout file comprising a modified set of smaller shapes;
• providing the computer readable corrected layout file to said manufacturing tool;
• producing a mask having a mask layout based on the corrected layout file;
• and
• exposing a semiconductor treated with a material sensitive to radiation energy to said radiation energy using said mask.

A method for producing a mask for a layer on an integrated circuit represented by a computer readable layout file, comprising:

• receiving a polygon from the computer readable layout file, the polygon corresponding to a portion of the integrated circuit;
• performing using a data processor a fragmentation of the polygon into a set of smaller shapes, based upon parameters of a manufacturing tool used for implementing the layout;
• performing using a data processor a proximity effect correction of at least one of the smaller shapes in the set of smaller shapes to provide a computer readable corrected layout file comprising a modified set of smaller shapes;
• and
• producing a mask having a mask layout based on the corrected layout file.

A method for performing proximity effect correction on a layout of an integrated circuit defined by a computer readable layout file, to produce a corrected layout file, the method comprising:

• receiving a polygon from the computer readable layout file, the polygon corresponding to a portion of the integrated circuit;
• performing using a data processor a fragmentation of at least one edge of the polygon into a set of segments, based upon parameters of a manufacturing tool used for implementing the layout;
• performing using a data processor a proximity effect correction of at least one of the segments in the set of segments to provide a computer readable corrected layout file;
• and
• providing the computer readable corrected layout file to said manufacturing tool.

A method for manufacturing integrated circuits, said integrated circuits being defined by a layout file, the method comprising:

• receiving a polygon from the computer readable layout file, the polygon corresponding to a portion of the integrated circuit;
• performing using a data processor a fragmentation of at least one edge of the polygon into a set of segments, based upon parameters of a manufacturing tool used for implementing the layout;
• performing using a data processor a proximity effect correction of at least one of the segments in the set of segments to provide a computer readable corrected layout file;
• producing a mask having a mask layout based on the corrected layout file;
• and
• exposing a semiconductor treated with a material sensitive to radiation energy to said radiation energy using said mask.