Back to results
US 2014/0237434 A1Published application
Photolithography mask design simplification
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsVivek K. Singh, Bikrsm Baidva, Omkar S. Dandekar, Hale Erten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photolithography mask design in simplified. In one example, a target mask design is optimized for a photolithography mask. Medial axes of the design and assist features on the optimized mask are identified. These are simplified to lines. Lines that are distant from a respective design feature are pruned. The remaining lines are simplified and then thickened to form assist features.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- optimizing a target mask design for a photolithography mask the target mask design comprising a plurality of design features, the optimized design having a plurality of assist features to print at least a portion of the design features;
- identifying medial axes of the design and assist features on the optimized mask as lines;
- associating design and assist features on the optimized mask with the lines;
- pruning lines that are distant from a respective design feature;
- simplifying the lines that are not pruned;
- and
- thickening the simplified lines to form assist features.
4 more elements
A computer-readable medium having instructions that, when operated on by the computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
- optimizing a target mask design for a photolithography mask the target mask design comprising a plurality of design features, the optimized design having a plurality of assist features to print at least a portion of the design features;
- identifying medial axes of the design and assist features on the optimized mask as lines;
- associating design and assist features on the optimized mask with the lines;
- pruning lines that are distant from a respective design feature;
- simplifying the lines that are not pruned;
- and
- thickening the simplified lines to form assist features.
4 more elements
A photolithography mask generated by:
- optimizing a target mask design for a photolithography mask the target mask design comprising a plurality of design features, the optimized design having a plurality of assist features to print at least a portion of the design features;
- identifying medial axes of the design and assist features on the optimized mask as lines;
- associating design and assist features on the optimized mask with the lines;
- pruning lines that are distant from a respective design feature;
- simplifying the lines that are not pruned;
- and
- thickening the simplified lines to form assist features.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.