Minimizing yield-loss risks through post-OPC verification

Ching-Heng Wang; Qingwei Liu; Liguo Zhang; Gen-Sheng Gao; Travis E. Brist; Tom Donnelly; Shumay Shang

doi:10.1117/12.686585

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20 October 2006 Minimizing yield-loss risks through post-OPC verification

Ching-Heng Wang, Qingwei Liu, Liguo Zhang, Gen-Sheng Gao, Travis E. Brist, Tom Donnelly, Shumay Shang

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Proceedings Volume 6349, Photomask Technology 2006; 63494N (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.686585
Event: SPIE Photomask Technology, 2006, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

In our continued pursuit to keep up with Moor's Law we are encountering lower and lower k1 factors resulting in increased sensitivity to lithography / OPC un-friendly designs, mask rule constraints and OPC setup file errors such as bad fragmentation, sub-optimal site placement, and poor convergence during the OPC application process. While the process has become evermore sensitive and more vulnerable to yield loss, the incurred costs associated with such losses is continuing to increase in the form of higher reticle costs, longer cycle times for learning, increased costs associated with the lithography tools, and most importantly lost revenue due to bringing a product to market late. This has resulted in an increased need for virtual manufacturing tools that are capable of accurately simulating the lithography process and detecting failures and weak points in the layout so they can be resolved before committing a layout to silicon and / or identified for inline monitoring during the wafer manufacturing process. This paper will attempt to outline a verification flow that is employed in a high volume manufacturing environment to identify, prevent, monitor and resolve critical lithography failures and yield inhibitors thereby minimizing how much we succumb to the aforementioned semiconductor manufacturing vulnerabilities.

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Ching-Heng Wang, Qingwei Liu, Liguo Zhang, Gen-Sheng Gao, Travis E. Brist, Tom Donnelly, and Shumay Shang "Minimizing yield-loss risks through post-OPC verification", Proc. SPIE 6349, Photomask Technology 2006, 63494N (20 October 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.686585

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