Frame cell for shot layout flexibility

A system, comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium;
• and
• a processor in signal communication with the computer readable storage medium, the processor configured to:
• receive an integrated circuit chip size as an input;
• determine a frame structure segment size based on the chip size on a reticle, the frame structure segment size being less than the chip size;
• establish an initial shot layout in which a number of shots are arranged in vertically aligned columns and horizontally aligned rows to cover a semiconductor wafer, each of the shots including at least one frame structure segment having the frame structure segment size and at least one chip, the initial shot layout having an initial chip count;
• establish at least one additional shot layout, the at least one additional shot layout differing from the initial shot layout in that the at least one additional shot layout has at least one of a row of shots or a column of shots offset from an adjacent row or column of shots by an offset distance, the offset distance based on the frame structure segment size;
• and
• compare the initial shot layout and the at least one additional shot layout to select a final shot layout, the final shot layout selection based in part on a total number of shots in the shot layout and having a final chip count that is greater than or equal to the initial chip count.

A computer readable storage medium encoded with program code, wherein when the program code is executed by a processor, the processor performs a method, the method comprising:

• receiving an integrated circuit chip size as an input;
• determining a frame structure segment size based on the chip size on a reticle, the frame structure segment size being less than the chip size;
• establishing an initial shot layout in which a number of shots are arranged in vertically aligned columns and horizontally aligned rows to cover a semiconductor wafer, each of the shots including at least one frame structure segment having the frame structure segment size and at least one chip, the initial shot layout having an initial chip count;
• establishing at least one additional shot layout, the at least one additional shot layout differing from the initial shot layout in that the at least one additional shot layout has at least one of a row of shots or a column of shots offset from an adjacent row or column of shots by an offset distance, the offset distance based on the frame structure segment size;
• and
• comparing the initial shot layout and the at least one additional shot layout to select a final shot layout, the final shot layout selection based in part on a total number of shots in the shot layout and having a final chip count that is greater than or equal to the initial chip count.