Design rule checking for multiple patterning technology
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsMeng-Kai HSU, Yuan-Te HOU, Wen-Hao CHEN
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Abstract
A method is disclosed that includes determining whether there is a conflict graph representing that each spacing between any two of at least five adjacent patterns of multiple-patterning patterns of a layout of an integrated circuit (IC) is less than a threshold spacing, and if there is the conflict graph, modifying the multiple-patterning patterns to exclude patterns represented by the conflict graph, for fabrication of the IC.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining whether there is a conflict graph representing that each spacing between any two of at least five adjacent patterns of multiple-patterning patterns of a layout of an integrated circuit (IC) is less than a threshold spacing;
- and
- if there is the conflict graph, modifying the multiple-patterning patterns to exclude patterns represented by the conflict graph, for fabrication of the IC.
A system, comprising:
- a storage device configured to store computer program codes;
- and
- a processor configured to execute the computer program codes in the storage device for:
- based on data corresponding to a layout of an integrated circuit (IC), building a graph representing multiple-patterning patterns;
- checking whether the graph comprises a sub-graph representing that each spacing between any two of at least five adjacent patterns of the multiple-patterning patterns is smaller than a threshold spacing;
- and
- when the graph comprises the sub-graph, modifying the graph to exclude the sub-graph, for fabrication of the IC.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out a method, the method comprising:
- grouping multiple-patterning patterns of a layout of an integrated circuit (IC), into a plurality of subsets of patterns to be assigned to various numbers of different masks;
- for each one of the subsets of patterns to be assigned to masks including four different masks, building a graph including quadruple-patterning (QP) patterns;
- checking whether the graph comprises a conflict graph in which each spacing between any two of adjacent five patterns of the QP patterns is smaller than a threshold spacing;
- and
- when the graph comprises the conflict graph, modifying the layout to exclude the conflict graph, for fabricating the IC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.