Coloring aware optimization

• US 10,670,973 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Zou, Yi, Su, Jing, Socha, Robert John, Spence, Christopher Alan, Hsu, Duan-Fu Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/573,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20180259857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 716 51, 716 52, 716 53, 716 54, 716 55
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70433 Layout for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors, e.g. layout of exposure fields for reducing focus errors; Use of mask features for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70466 Multiple exposures, e.g. combination of fine and coarse exposures, double patterning or multiple exposures for printing a single feature stitching G03F7/70475
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

A method includes obtaining a sub-layout having an area that is a performance limiting spot, adjusting colors of patterns in the area, and determining whether the area is still a performance limiting spot. Another method includes decomposing patterns in a design layout into multiple sub-layouts; determining for at least one area in one of the sub-layouts, the likelihood of that a figure of merit is beyond its allowed range; and if the likelihood is above a threshold, that one sub-layout has a performance limiting spot. Another method includes: obtaining a design layout having a first group of patterns and a second group of patterns, wherein colors of the first group of patterns are not allowed to change and colors of the second group of patterns are allowed to change; and co-optimizing at least the first group of patterns, the second group of patterns and an illumination of a lithographic apparatus.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a colored design layout comprising a sub-layout comprising an area that is a performance limiting spot;

searching for a color combination of patterns in the area to make the area no longer a performance limiting spot;

responsive to no color combination being found from the searching that makes the area no longer a performance limiting spot, combining patterns in the area with at least one pattern outside the area to yield an aggregation of patterns;

adjusting, by a hardware computer system, a color of at least one pattern of the aggregation of patterns; and

subsequent to the adjusting, determining, by the hardware computer system, whether the area is still a performance limiting spot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to a determination that the area is still a performance limiting spot;

adding at least one further pattern outside the area to the aggregation of patterns.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for a color combination of patterns comprises:

obtaining a set of color combinations of patterns, wherein the set of color combinations do not violate any design rules for a sub-layer;

for a respective color combination in the set, determining one or more characteristics of a lithography process using the respective color combination; and

selecting a color combination from the set based on the one or more characteristics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for a color combination of patterns comprises:

identifying a pair of patterns among patterns in the performance limiting spot; and

assigning different colors to the pair of patterns.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the design layout comprises a first group of patterns and a second group of patterns, wherein colors of the second group of patterns are not allowed to change and colors of the first group of patterns are allowed to change.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, upon execution by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:

obtain a colored design layout comprising a sub-layout comprising an area that is a performance limiting spot;

search for a color combination of patterns in the area to make the area no longer a performance limiting spot;

responsive to no color combination being found from the searching that makes the area no longer a performance limiting spot, combine patterns in the area with at least one pattern outside the area to yield an aggregation of patterns;

adjusting a color of at least one pattern of the aggregation of patterns; and

subsequent to the adjustment, determine whether the area is still a performance limiting spot.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to, responsive to a determination that the area is still a performance limiting spot, add at least one further pattern outside the area to the aggregation of patterns.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to search for a color combination of patterns are further configured to cause the computer system to:

obtain a set of color combinations of patterns, wherein the set of color combinations do not violate any design rules for a sub-layer;

for a respective color combination in the set, determining one or more characteristics of a lithography process using the respective color combination; and

selecting a color combination from the set based on the one or more characteristics.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to search for a color combination of patterns are further configured to cause the computer system to:

identify a pair of patterns among patterns in the performance limiting spot; and

assign different colors to the pair of patterns.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the design layout comprises a first group of patterns and a second group of patterns, wherein colors of the second group of patterns are not allowed to change and colors of the first group of patterns are allowed to change.

11. A method comprising:

obtaining a colored design layout comprising a sub-layout comprising an area that is a performance limiting spot;

adjusting, by a hardware computer system, a color of at least one pattern in the area, wherein the design layout comprises a first group of patterns and a second group of patterns, wherein colors of the second group of patterns are not allowed to change and colors of the first group of patterns are allowed to change; and

subsequent to the adjusting, determining, by the hardware computer system, whether the area is still a performance limiting spot.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, responsive to a determination that the area is still a performance limiting spot, combining a pattern outside the performance limiting spot of the sub-layout with patterns in the area for evaluation in the adjusting step.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching for a color combination of patterns in the area, that makes the performance limiting spot no longer a performance limiting spot; and

responsive to no color combination being found that makes the performance limiting spot no longer a performance limiting spot, including at least one pattern outside the performance limiting spot of the sub-layout for evaluation in the adjusting step.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the searching for a color combination of patterns comprises:

obtaining a set of color combinations of patterns, wherein the set of color combinations do not violate any design rules for a sub-layer;

for a respective color combination in the set, determining one or more characteristics of a lithography process using the respective color combination; and

selecting a color combination from the set based on the one or more characteristics.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the searching for a color combination of patterns comprises:

identifying a pair of patterns among patterns in the performance limiting spot; and

assigning different colors to the pair of patterns.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, upon execution by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:

obtain a colored design layout comprising a sub-layout comprising an area that is a performance limiting spot;

adjust a color of at least one pattern in the area, wherein the design layout comprises a first group of patterns and a second group of patterns, wherein colors of the second group of patterns are not allowed to change and colors of the first group of patterns are allowed to change; and

subsequent to the adjustment, determine whether the area is still a performance limiting spot.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to, responsive to a determination that the area is still a performance limiting spot, evaluate a patterrioutside the performance limiting spot of the sub-layout as part of the adjustment.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to:

search for a color combination of patterns in the area, that makes the performance limiting spot no longer a performance limiting spot; and

responsive to no color combination being found that makes the performance limiting spot no longer a performance limiting spot, include at least one pattern outside the performance limiting spot of the sub-layout for evaluation in the adjustment.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to search for a color combination of patterns are further configured to cause the computer system to:

obtain a set of color combinations of patterns, wherein the set of color combinations do not violate any design rules for a sub-layer;

for a respective color combination in the set, determine one or more characteristics of a lithography process using the respective color combination; and

select a color combination from the set based on the one or more characteristics.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to search for a color combination of patterns are further configured to cause the computer system to:

identify a pair of patterns among patterns in the performance limiting spot; and

assign different colors to the pair of patterns.