Adjustment of mask shapes for improving printability of dense integrated circuit layout
AssigneesInternational Business Machines Corporation, InfineonTechnologies North America Corp.
InventorsAzalia Krasnoperova, Ian P Stobert, Klaus Herold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for making mask shape adjustment The method includes creating a first mask shape; identifying one or more mask segments of the first mask shape as candidate mask segments of needing segment adjustment; applying an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the first mask shape, the OPC process identifying at least one of the candidate mask segments as a constrained mask segment; applying a rotational adjustment to the constrained mask segment; and creating a second mask shape having the constrained mask segment being rotationally adjusted. A system and a machine-readable medium for performing the above method are also provided.
Claims24
A method of making mask shape adjustment, the method comprising:
- creating a first mask shape;
- identifying one or more mask segments of said first mask shape as candidate mask segments of needing segment adjustment;
- applying an optical proximity correction (OPC) process, by using a computer, to said first mask shape, said OPC process identifying at least one of said candidate mask segments as a constrained mask segment;
- applying a rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment;
- and
- creating a second mask shape having said constrained mask segment being rotationally adjusted,
- wherein applying said rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment comprises splitting said constrained mask segment into two new mask segments having a common end point at a middle of said constrained mask segment;
- moving said common end point outwards, normal to said constrained mask segment, to cause said two new mask segments to expand and rotate in opposite directions, said two new mask segments forming a triangle shape with said constrained mask segment before splitting.
A system of performing mask shape adjustment, the system comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU);
- at least one input/output device for interacting with a user of said system;
- at least one storage device for storing a set of instructions;
- and
- a controller for controlling said CPU;
- said at least one input/output device;
- and said at least one storage device via a communication bus,
- wherein said CPU is adapted to execute said set of instructions for:
- creating a first mask shape;
- identifying one or more mask segments of said first mask shape as candidate mask segments of needing segment adjustment;
- applying an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to said first mask shape, said OPC process identifying at least one of said candidate mask segments as a constrained mask segment;
- applying a rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment;
- and
- creating a second mask shape having said constrained mask segment being rotationally adjusted,
- wherein applying said rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment comprises splitting said constrained mask segment into two new mask segments having a common end point at a middle of said constrained mask segment;
- moving said common end point outwards, normal to said constrained mask segment, to cause said two new mask segments to expand and rotate in opposite directions, said two new mask segments forming a triangle shape with said constrained mask segment before splitting.
A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in
- creating a first mask shape;
- identifying one or more mask segments of said first mask shape as candidate mask segments of needing segment adjustment;
- applying an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to said first mask shape, said OPC process identifying at least one of said candidate mask segment as a constrained mask segment;
- applying a rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment;
- and
- creating a second mask shape having said constrained mask segment being rotationally adjusted,
- wherein applying said rotational adjustment to said constrained mask segment comprises splitting said constrained mask segment into two new mask segments having a common end point at a middle of said constrained mask segment;
- moving said common end point outwards, normal to said constrained mask segment, to cause said two new mask segments to expand and rotate in opposite directions, said two new mask segments forming a triangle shape with said constrained mask segment before splitting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.