Enforcement of mask rule compliance in model-based OPC'ed layouts during data preparation

Dirk H. Meyer; Radovan Vuletic; Alexander Seidl

doi:10.1117/12.467751

27 December 2002 Enforcement of Mask Rule Compliance in Model-Based OPC'ed Layouts during Data Preparation

Dirk H. Meyer, Radovan Vuletic, Alexander Seidl

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4889, 22nd Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.467751
Event: Photomask Technology 2002, 2002, Monterey, CA, United States

Abstract

Currently available commercial model-based OPC tools do not always generate layouts which are mask rule compliant. Additional processing is required to remove mask rule violations, which are often too numerous for manual patching. Although physical verification tools can be used to remove simple mask rule violations, the results are often unsatisfactory for more complicated geometrical configurations. The subject of this paper is the development and application of a geometrical processing engine that automatically enforces mask rule compliance of the OPC'ed layout. It is designed as an add-on to a physical verification tool. The engine constructs patches, which remove mask rule violations such as notches or width violations. By employing a Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) optimization method, the edges of each patch are placed in a way that avoids secondary violations while modifying the OPC'ed layout as little as possible. A sequence of enforcement steps is applied to the layout to remove all types of mask rule violations. This approach of locally confined minimal layout modifications retains OPC corrections to a maximum amount. This method has been used successfully in production on a variety of DRAM designs for the non-array regions.

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Dirk H. Meyer, Radovan Vuletic, and Alexander Seidl "Enforcement of Mask Rule Compliance in Model-Based OPC'ed Layouts during Data Preparation", Proc. SPIE 4889, 22nd Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology, (27 December 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.467751

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