Diagnosing in-line critical dimension control adjustments using optical proximity correction verification

A computer system comprising:

• at least one computing device configured to diagnose in-line critical dimension control adjustments in a lithographic process by performing actions comprising:
• locating a control structure in a data set representing one of a chip or a kerf;
• simulating component dimensions within a region proximate to the control structure;
• determining a difference between the simulated component dimensions within the region and target component dimensions within the region;
• determining whether the difference exceeds a predetermined tolerance threshold;
• running optical proximity correction verification on an entire chip in response to the determining the difference does not exceed the predetermined tolerance threshold;
• adjusting a simulation condition in response to determining the difference exceeds the predetermined tolerance threshold;
• and
• repeating the simulating of the component dimensions within the region, the determining of the difference, and the determining of whether the difference exceeds the predetermined tolerance threshold in response to the adjusting of the simulation condition.

A computer program comprising program code embodied in at least one computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to diagnose in-line critical dimension control adjustments in a lithographic process, the method comprising:

• locating a control structure in a data set representing one of a chip or a kerf;
• simulating component dimensions within a region proximate to the control structure,
• wherein the simulating of the component dimensions is further performed using an initial simulation condition for a first chip simulation;
• determining a difference between the simulated component dimensions within the region and target component dimensions within the region;
• determining whether the difference exceeds a predetermined tolerance threshold;
• running optical proximity correction verification on an entire chip in response to the determining the difference does not exceed the predetermined tolerance threshold;
• adjusting a simulation condition in response to determining the difference exceeds the predetermined tolerance threshold;
• and
• repeating the simulating of the component dimensions within the region, the determining of the difference, and the determining of whether the difference exceeds the predetermined tolerance threshold in response to the adjusting of the simulation condition.