Correcting for stress induced pattern shifts in semiconductor manufacturing

A system for designing semiconductor photolithographic masks comprising:

• a memory storage device;
• a hardware processor, coupled to said memory storage device, for receiving instructions therefrom to configure said hardware processor to perform a method comprising:
• obtaining data representing density characteristics of a photo mask layout design by merging pieces of data that are combined to obtain a full reticle field data set, said merging including merging of data representing density characteristic driven stress effects;
• and
• obtaining density characteristics data for the merged reticle data set;
• predicting stress induced displacements based on said obtained density characteristics data;
• and
• correcting the mask layout design data by specifying shift movement of individual photo mask design shapes to pre-compensate for predicted displacements.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage device, said device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer for reducing overlay errors during a semiconductor photolithographic mask design process flow, said program of instructions, when executing, performing:
• obtaining data representing density characteristics of a photo mask layout design by merging pieces of data that are combined to obtain a full reticle field data set, said merging including merging of data representing density characteristic driven stress effects;
• and
• obtaining density characteristics data for the merged reticle data set;
• predicting stress induced displacements based on said obtained density characteristics data;
• and
• correcting the mask layout design data by specifying shift movement of individual photo mask design shapes to pre-compensate for predicted displacements.

A method of reducing errors during a semiconductor photolithographic mask design process flow, said method comprising:

• obtaining data representing distortions to a photo mask design produced by components of a photolithographic system, said data including a full reticle field data set obtained by merging pieces of data that are combined to make a photo mask, said merging including a merge of data representing density characteristic driven stress effects which cause pattern distortions within a mask;
• computing displacements of features on said photo mask design based on said obtained distortion data;
• and
• correcting the mask layout design data by specifying shift movement of individual photo mask design shapes to pre-compensate for predicted displacements,
• wherein a programmed hardware processor performs said obtaining, predicting and mask layout design correcting.