Method and apparatus for enhanced optical proximity correction

An integrated circuit (IC) design method comprising:

• receiving an IC design layout having a feature with an outer boundary;
• performing a first dissection on the feature to divide the outer boundary into a first number of segments;
• performing a first optical proximity correction on the feature to independently adjust one or more of the segments to form a modified outer boundary;
• simulating, using a processor, a photolithography exposure of the IC design layout to generate a first contour;
• comparing the first contour to the outer boundary of the feature to determine if the first contour is within a threshold distance to the outer boundary;
• and
• if the first contour does not meet the threshold distance:
• performing a second dissection on the feature to divide the modified outer boundary into a second number of segments greater than the first number of segments, and
• performing a second optical proximity correction on the feature to independently adjust one or more of the segments of the modified outer boundary to form a further modified outer boundary.

An integrated circuit (IC) design system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a communication module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive an IC design layout having a feature with an outer boundary;
• a non-transitory, computer-readable storage communicatively coupled to the processor and including instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including:
• instructions to perform a dissection on the feature to divide the outer boundary into a plurality of segments;
• instructions to perform, using the segments, an optical proximity correction on the feature to generate a modified outer boundary;
• instructions to simulate a photolithography exposure of the feature with the modified outer boundary to create a contour;
• instructions to perform an optical proximity correction evaluation to determine if the contour is within a threshold;
• and
• instructions to repeat the instructions to perform the dissection, the instructions to perform the optical proximity correction, and the instructions to simulate if the contour does not meet the threshold, wherein each repeated dissection and each repeated optical proximity correction is performed on the modified outer boundary generated by the previously performed optical proximity correction.