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US 8,146,024 B2Granted
Method and system for process optimization
AssigneeCadence Design Systems, Inc.
InventorsKevin Chan, Emmanuel Drege, Nickhil Jakatdar, Svetlana Litvintseva, Mark A. Miller, Francis Raquel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for process optimization is provided. Process optimization improves parametric and functional yield post mask manufacturing.
Claims21
A computer-implemented method for process optimization after mask manufacturing comprising:
- generating a first list of critical areas simulated from a manufactured mask containing a design layout based at least in part upon cross domain correlation, wherein the cross domain correlation comprises correlating the critical areas caused by physical and electrical effects with weighing factors from a manufacturer, wherein the weighting factors are tuned to match locations of actual critical areas of a previous layout with locations of simulated critical areas of the same previous layout;
- applying a priority for process optimization for the critical areas;
- determining, by using a processor, a manufacturing process recipe based at least in part upon the priority, wherein the manufacturing process recipe is determined based at least in part upon comparing a prediction of functional and parametric yields with a threshold in order to optimize a process control for the functional and parametric yields;
- and
- storing the manufacturing process recipe in a volatile or non-volatile computer-usable medium or displaying the manufacturing process recipe using a display device.
2 more elements
An apparatus for process optimization after mask manufacturing comprising:
- a processor configured for:
- generating a first list of critical areas simulated from a manufactured mask containing a design layout based at least in part upon cross domain correlation, wherein the cross domain correlation comprises correlating the critical areas caused by physical and electrical effects with weighing factors from a manufacturer, wherein the weighting factors are tuned to match locations of actual critical areas of a previous layout with locations of simulated critical areas of the same previous layout;
- applying a priority for process optimization for the critical areas;
- determining a manufacturing process recipe based at least in part upon the priority, wherein the manufacturing process recipe is determined based at least in part upon comparing a prediction of functional and parametric yields with a threshold in order to optimize a process control for the functional and parametric yields;
- and
- a volatile or non-volatile computer-usable medium for storing the manufacturing process recipe or a display device for displaying the manufacturing process recipe.
3 more elements
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having executable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a process for process optimization after mask manufacturing, comprising:
- generating a first list of critical areas simulated from a manufactured mask containing a design layout based at least in part upon cross domain correlation, wherein the cross domain correlation comprises correlating the critical areas caused by physical and electrical effects with weighing factors from a manufacturer, wherein the weighting factors are tuned to match locations of actual critical areas of a previous layout with locations of simulated critical areas of the same previous layout;
- applying a priority for process optimization for the critical areas;
- and
- determining a manufacturing process recipe based at least in part upon the priority, wherein the manufacturing process recipe is determined based at least in part upon comparing a prediction of functional and parametric yields with a threshold in order to optimize a process control for the functional and parametric yields;
- and
- storing the manufacturing process recipe or displaying the manufacturing process recipe on a display device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.