Dangerous process/pattern detection system and method, danger detection program, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

• US 20030014146A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujii, Osamu, Akiyama, Tatsuo
• Application Number:
  US10/193,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014146A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms

Abstract

A system for detecting dangerous process/pattern includes: an input data processing unit configured to convert input data into formatted data; a critical condition storage unit configured to store critical conditions for defect generation; a universal simulation unit configured to perform at least process simulation for the formatted data and output those result as dangerous process determination-formatted data; and a mask simulation unit configured to perform mask simulation for the formatted data and output those result as dangerous pattern determination-formatted data. In addition, the system includes a dangerous process determination unit configured to compare the dangerous process determination-formatted data and the critical conditions, and determine whether it is a dangerous process; and a dangerous pattern determination unit configured to compare the dangerous pattern determination-formatted data and the critical conditions, and determine whether or not it is a dangerous pattern.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a dangerous process/pattern, comprising:

an input data processing unit configured to convert input data into formatted data;

a critical condition storage unit configured to store critical conditions for defect generation;

a universal simulation unit configured to perform at least process simulation for the formatted data and output result thereof as dangerous process determination-formatted data;

a mask simulation unit configured to perform mask simulation for the formatted data and output result thereof as dangerous pattern determination-formatted data;

a dangerous process determination unit configured to compare the dangerous process determination-formatted data and the critical conditions, and determine whether or not it is a dangerous process; and

a dangerous pattern determination unit configured to compare the dangerous pattern determination-formatted data and the critical conditions, and determine whether or not it is a dangerous pattern.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the universal simulation unit comprises:

a process simulation unit configured to perform process simulation; and

device simulation unit configured to perform device simulation for finding the electrical characteristics of a device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

the mask simulation unit calculates an element shape at an arbitrary location for each manufacturing process based on mask pattern layout data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the input data includes data relating to process condition or mask condition, and mask pattern layout data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the dangerous process determination unit and the dangerous pattern determination unit update critical conditions of the critical condition storage unit, based upon process condition determined as a dangerous process and mask condition determined as a dangerous pattern.

6. A computer implemented method for detecting a dangerous process/pattern, comprising:

converting input data into formatted data with an input data processing unit;

performing at least process simulation for the formatted data and outputting result thereof as dangerous process determination-formatted data to a dangerous process determination unit; and

comparing the dangerous process determination-formatted data and critical conditions stored in a critical condition storage unit, and determining whether or not it is a dangerous process.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein

process simulation and device simulation is performed for the formatted data and results thereof are output as the dangerous process determination-formatted data to the dangerous process determination unit.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein

the input data is data relating to process conditions including information relating to ion implantation and anneal conditions.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

updating critical conditions of the critical condition storage unit, based upon process condition determined as a dangerous process.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

before performing the process simulation, determining whether or not it is a dangerous process by referencing the input data and critical conditions stored in the critical condition storage unit.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing mask simulation for the formatted data and outputting result thereof as dangerous pattern determination-formatted data to a dangerous pattern determination unit; and

comparing the dangerous pattern determination-formatted data and critical conditions stored in the critical condition storage unit, and determining whether or not it is a dangerous pattern.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein

the input data includes data relating to process condition or mask condition, and mask pattern layout data.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein

through the mask simulation, an element shape at an arbitrary location for each manufacturing process are calculated based on mask pattern layout data.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

updating critical conditions of the critical condition storage unit, based upon mask condition determined as a dangerous pattern.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

a command for updating critical conditions of the critical condition storage unit, based upon process condition determined as a dangerous process and mask condition determined as a dangerous pattern.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

after determining a pattern layout that should be formed upon the semiconductor substrate based on the desired mask condition, preparing a necessary number of reticles for each manufacturing process using an exposure system, in accordance with mask pattern data generated based on the determined layout; and

wherein

the fabricating the integrated circuit on the semiconductor substrate comprising a series of fabrication processes including a first photolithographic process using one of the reticles, a selective diffusion process using a diffusion mask obtained in the first photolithographic process, a second photolithographic process using another one of the reticles, a selective etching process using an etching mask obtained in the second photolithographic process.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein

the input data includes data relating to process condition or mask condition, and mask pattern layout data.

13. A computer implemented method for detecting a dangerous process/pattern, comprising:

converting input data into formatted data with an input data processing unit;

performing mask simulation for the formatted data and outputting result thereof as dangerous pattern determination-formatted data to a dangerous pattern determination unit; and

comparing the dangerous pattern determination-formatted data and critical conditions stored in a critical condition storage unit, and determining whether or not it is a dangerous pattern.

16. A computer program product to be executed by a computer for detecting a dangerous process/pattern, comprising:

a command for converting input data into formatted data with an input data processing unit;

a command for performing at least process simulation for the formatted data and outputting result thereof as dangerous process determination-formatted data to a dangerous process determination unit;

a command for comparing the dangerous process determination-formatted data and critical conditions stored in a critical condition storage unit, and determining whether or not it is a dangerous process.

a command for performing mask simulation for the formatted data and outputting result thereof as dangerous pattern determination-formatted data to a dangerous pattern determination unit; and

a command for comparing the dangerous pattern determination-formatted data and critical conditions stored in the critical condition storage unit, and determining whether or not it is a dangerous pattern.

18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

performing at least one of process and mask simulations based on input data, determining whether or not it is a dangerous process or a dangerous pattern by comparing the result thereof with critical conditions stored in a critical condition storage unit and setting modified input data in the case where there is a dangerous process or a dangerous pattern to obtain at least one of desired process condition and desired mask condition; and

fabricating an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate based on obtained at least one of desired process condition and desired mask condition.