Mask pattern creating method and mask pattern creating apparatus

A method for creating a mask pattern used in multiple exposure for carrying out overlay printing of a micro-line pattern and a mask pattern a minimum line width of which is wider than a line width of the micro-line pattern to form a target pattern having a minimum line width corresponding to the line width of said micro-line pattern, said method comprising:

• a step of preparing data of the target pattern desired to form after the exposure;
• a step of carrying out a logical operation of predetermined micro-line pattern data and said target pattern data;
• a step of dividing a surface of the mask pattern into plural types of areas, based on the result of the logical operation;
• a step of setting a single light transmittance or a plurality of light transmittances required or allowed for the types of areas and grouping areas for which one light transmittance can be selected, in each light transmittance;
• and
• a step of synthesizing a synthetic pattern from grouped patterns formed in the respective light transmittances,
• wherein data of the synthetic pattern is used as data of the mask pattern,
• the method further comprising:
• a) a step of determining whether each of the grouped patterns comprised of the grouped areas satisfies a design rule of the mask pattern and revising a grouped pattern not satisfying the design rule so that said grouped pattern satisfies the design rule, wherein the grouped patterns formed in the respective light transmittances and revised if necessary are used to synthesize the synthetic pattern,
• b) optionally, a second revising step of, after the synthesis with said plurality of grouped patterns, determining whether the synthetic pattern satisfies said design rule, and revising the synthetic pattern if the synthetic pattern does not satisfy the design rule, and
• c) a step of selecting one of obtained data when each of said revising steps results in obtaining a plurality of revision results for one grouped pattern or the synthetic pattern or when a plurality of synthesis results are obtained in said synthesizing step and, as a result, if said mask pattern data obtained includes a plurality of mask pattern data, said selection step comprising computing images corresponding to the respective mask pattern data and selecting one of said data, based on the obtained image data.

A method for creating a mask pattern used in multiple exposure for carrying out overlay printing of a micro-line pattern and a mask pattern a minimum line width of which is wider than a line width of the micro-line pattern to form a target pattern having a minimum line width corresponding to the line width of said micro-line pattern, said method comprising:

• a step of preparing data of the target pattern desired to form after the exposure;
• a step of carrying out a logical operation of predetermined micro-line pattern data and said target pattern data;
• a step of dividing a surface of the mask pattern into plural types of areas, based on the result of the logical operation;
• a step of setting a single light transmittance or a plurality of light transmittances required or allowed for the types of areas and for grouping areas for which one light transmittance can be selected, in each light transmittance;
• and
• a step of synthesizing a synthetic pattern from grouped patterns formed in the respective light transmittances,
• wherein data of the synthetic pattern is used as data of the mask pattern,
• said method further comprising:
• a first revising step of determining whether each of the grouped patterns comprised of the grouped areas satisfies a design rule of the mask pattern and revising a grouped pattern not satisfying the design rule so that said grouped pattern satisfies the design rule;
• a second revising step of, after the synthesis with said plurality of grouped patterns, determining whether the synthetic pattern satisfies said design rule, and revising the synthetic pattern if the synthetic pattern does not satisfy the design rule;
• and
• a selection step carried out when each of said revising steps results in obtaining a plurality of revision results for one grouped pattern or synthetic pattern or when said synthesizing step results in obtaining a plurality of synthesis results and, as a result, if said mask pattern data includes a plurality of mask pattern data, said selection step comprising computing images corresponding to the respective mask pattern data and selecting one of said data, based on the obtained image data.

A method for creating a mask pattern projected onto a substrate comprising:

• a step of preparing data of a target pattern desired to form after exposure;
• a step of carrying out a logical operation of predetermined micro-line pattern data and said target pattern data;
• a step of dividing a surface of a mask pattern into plural types of areas, based on the result of the logical operation;
• a step of setting a plurality of light transmittances required or allowed for the types of areas and grouping areas for which one light transmittance can be selected, in each light transmittance;
• a step of synthesizing a synthetic pattern from grouped patterns formed in the respective light transmittances, wherein data of the synthetic pattern is used as data of the mask pattern;
• and
• forming said mask pattern from said data, wherein said mask pattern provides a multi-level exposure amount onto the substrate.

A mask pattern creating method comprising:

• a step of preparing data of a target pattern desired to form after exposure;
• a step of carrying out a logical operation of predetermined micro-line pattern data and said target pattern data;
• a step of dividing a surface of a mask pattern into plural types of areas, based on the result of the logical operation;
• a step of setting a light transmittance or a plurality of light transmittances required or allowed for the types of areas and grouping areas for which one light transmittance can be selected, in each light transmittance;
• a first revising step of determining whether each of the grouped patterns comprised of the grouped areas satisfies a predetermined mask pattern design rule, and revising a grouped pattern not satisfying the design rule so that said grouped pattern satisfies the design rule;
• and
• a step of synthesizing a synthetic pattern from grouped patterns formed in the respective light transmittances and revised if necessary,
• wherein data of the synthetic pattern is used as data of the mask pattern,
• said mask pattern creating method further comprising:
• a second revising step of determining whether the synthetic pattern satisfies said design rule and revising the synthetic pattern if the synthetic pattern does not satisfy the design rule;
• a selection step carried out when each revising step results in obtaining a plurality of revision results for one grouped pattern or synthetic pattern or when said synthesizing step results in obtaining a plurality of synthesis results and, as a result, if said mask pattern data includes a plurality of mask pattern data, said selection step comprising computing images corresponding to the respective mask pattern data and selecting one of the data, based on the obtained image data.