Scattering bar OPC application method for mask ESD prevention
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChien-Ping Hsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reducing ESD on scattering bars in forming a mask containing a target pattern is provided. In one embodiment, the target pattern comprising features to be imaged onto a substrate is obtained. The mask is modified to include at least one scattering bar, the at least one scattering bar being placed adjacent to edges of the features to be imaged. Thereafter, the scattering bar is truncated into one or more scattering bar segments by determining an optimized length for each of the one or more scattering bar segments, wherein ESD on the one or more scattering bar segments is substantially reduced.
Claims15
A method for reducing ESD on scattering bars in forming a mask, the method comprising:
- forming a target pattern on the mask comprising to-be-imaged features;
- forming at least one scattering bar, the at least one scattering bar being placed adjacent to edges of the to-be-imaged features;
- and
- truncating the scattering bar into one or more scattering bar segments having an optimized length for each of the one or more scattering bar segments, wherein ESD on the one or more scattering bar segments is substantially reduced.
A computer readable medium, comprising computer executable instructions for perform a sequence of steps for forming a mask, the steps comprising:
- obtaining a target pattern comprising to-be-imaged features;
- modifying the mask to include at least one scattering bar, the at least one scattering bar being placed adjacent to edges of the to-be-imaged features;
- and
- truncating the scattering bar into one or more scattering bar segments by determining an optimized length for each of the one or more scattering bar segments, wherein ESD on the one or more scattering bar segments is substantially reduced.
An improved mask comprising:
- a target pattern comprising to-be-imaged features;
- and p1 one or more scattering bar segments being placed adjacent to edges of the features, each of the one or more scattering bar segments having an optimized length, wherein ESD on the one or more scattering bar segments is substantially reduced, and wherein the optimized scattering bar length Lop equals to (Lt−nS)/(n+1), wherein Lt is the total scattering bar length, n is the number of spaces between the scattering bar segments, and S is the minimum space between scattering bar segments.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for obtaining the target pattern comprising features to be imaged onto a substrate;
- means for modifying the mask to include at least one scattering bar, the at least one scattering bar being placed adjacent to edges of the features to be imaged;
- and
- means for truncating the scattering bar into one or more scattering bar segments by determining an optimized length for each of the one or more scattering bar segments, wherein ESD on the one or more scattering bar segments is substantially reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.