Method and apparatus for writing a pattern on a semiconductor sample based on a resist pattern corrected for proximity effects resulting from direct exposure of the sample by a charged-particle beam or light

A method of writing a pattern on a semiconductor sample based upon a resist pattern involving various design patterns by application of a charged-particle beam or light, said pattern being for use in manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit device having circuit portions corresponding to said pattern, said method comprising:

• (a) obtaining pattern data representing design patterns included in a pattern;
• (b) developing said pattern data such that said design patterns are arranged in cells in an array having a basic unit in the form of an element cell;
• (c) correcting said pattern data for proximity effects resulting from exposing resins coated on the sample to the charged-particle beam or to light by:
• (i) dividing an element cell into nine rectangular zones in 3.times.3 matrix, and defining a second cell by putting together four different rectangular zones which are contiguous to each other and at corners of four different element cells contiguous to each other, defining third and fourth cells by putting together two different rectangular zones which are contiguous to each other and at sides of different element cells, and defining a first cell with a central rectangular zone of said element cell;
• (ii) providing each of said first to fourth cells with a frame zone having a predetermined width and present outside its boundary;
• and
• (iii) performing proximity effect correction operations, when correcting pattern data in each of said first to fourth cells for proximity effects, such that pattern data in each of said first to fourth cells are all used as a pattern to be corrected and a pattern in said frame zone present outside each of said first to fourth cells is used as a reference pattern;
• and
• (d) writing said sample in accordance with said proximity-effect-corrected pattern.

An apparatus for writing a pattern on a semiconductor sample based upon a resist pattern involving various design patterns by application of a charged-particle beam or light, said pattern being for use in manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit device having circuit portions corresponding to said pattern, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for obtaining pattern data representing design patterns included in a pattern;
• (b) means for developing said pattern data such that said design patterns are arranged in cells having a hierarchical relationship and corresponding to exposure patterns on the sample to be exposed to a charged-particle beam or light;
• (c) means for correcting said pattern data for proximity effects by optimizing an amount of exposure to each of the exposure patterns when exposing resins coated on the sample to the charged-particle beam or to light, said correction means comprising:
• (i) means for providing a first frame zone having a predetermined width inside a boundary of each cell;
• (ii) means for providing a second frame zone having a predetermined width inside said first frame zone;
• (iii) means for performing proximity effect correction operations to obtain a proximity-effect-corrected pattern such that a pattern in said second frame zone and a pattern inside said second frame zone are used as a pattern to be corrected and a pattern in said first frame zone is used as a reference pattern when correcting pattern data in said each cell for proximity effects and a pattern in said first frame zone in said each cell is added to the pattern to be corrected and a pattern in said second frame zone in said each cell is used as a reference pattern when correcting pattern data in a cell directly overlying said each cell for proximity effect;
• and
• (iv) means for determining an amount of exposure of each pattern to the charged particle beam or to the light in accordance with a result of the proximity effect correcting operations;
• and
• (d) means for writing said sample in accordance with said proximity-effect-corrected pattern and in accordance with said determined amount of exposure.

An apparatus for writing a pattern on a semiconductor sample based upon a resist pattern involving various design patterns by application of a charged-particle beam or light, said pattern being for use in manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit device having circuit portions corresponding to said pattern, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for obtaining pattern data representing design patterns included in a pattern;
• (b) means for developing said pattern data such that said design patterns are arranged in cells in an array having a basic unit in the form of an element cell;
• (c) correction means for correcting said pattern data for proximity effects by optimizing an amount of exposure to each of the exposure patterns when exposing resins coated on the sample to the charged-particle beam or to light, said correction means comprising:
• (i) means for dividing an element cell into nine rectangular zones in 3.times.3 matrix, and defining a second cell by putting together four different rectangular zones which are contiguous to each other and at corners of four different element cells contiguous to each other, defining third and fourth cells by putting together two different rectangular zones which are contiguous to each other and at sides of different element cells, and defining a first cell with a central rectangular zone of said element cell;
• (ii) means for providing each of said first to fourth cells with a frame zone having a predetermined width and present outside its boundary;
• (iii) means for performing proximity effect correction operations are carried out, when correcting pattern data in each of said first to fourth cells for proximity effects, such that pattern data in each of said first to fourth cells are all used as a pattern to be corrected and a pattern in said frame zone present outside each of said first to fourth cells is used as a reference pattern, and
• (iv) means for determining the amount of exposure of each pattern to the charged particle beam or to light in accordance with a result of the proximity effect correction operations;
• and
• (d) means for writing said sample in accordance with said proximity-effect-corrected pattern and in accordance with said determined amount of exposure.