METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING A DATABASE TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY AND CORRECT A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AREA IN A LAYOUT

• US 20090288047A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Inventors: Fang, Weiping, Song, Hua, Zhang, Daniel N., Kim, Juhwan, Tang, Zong Wu, Melvin, Lawrence S. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/136
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/36 Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

One embodiment provides a system for using a database to quickly identify a manufacturing problem area in a layout. During operation, the system receives a first check-figure which identifies a first area in a first layout, wherein the first area is associated with a first feature. Next, the system determines a first sample using the first check-figure, wherein the first sample represents the first layout'"'"'s geometry within a first ambit of the first check-figure, wherein the first sample'"'"'s geometry is expected to affect the shape of the first feature. The system then performs a model-based simulation using the first sample to obtain a first simulation-result which indicates whether the first feature is expected to have manufacturing problems. Next, the system stores the first simulation-result in a database which is used to quickly determine whether a second feature is expected to have manufacturing problems.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to identify a manufacturing problem area in a layout, the method comprising:

performing, by computer, a model-based simulation for a first sample in the layout to obtain a first simulation-result which indicates whether a feature associated with the first sample in the layout is expected to have manufacturing problems;

associating, in a database, the first sample with the first simulation-result; and

in response to determining that a rotated version of a second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout, using the first simulation-result to determine whether a feature associated with the second sample in the layout is expected to have manufacturing problems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the model-based simulation for the first sample includes convolving a process model with the first sample.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first sample with the first simulation-result includes:

determining a first hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in the first sample; and

associating the first hash value with the first simulation-result.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the rotated version of the second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout includes:

performing an exclusive-OR operation between the first sample and the rotated version of the second sample to obtain an exclusive-OR result; and

determining whether the exclusive-OR result contains any polygons.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to performing the model-based simulation for the first sample in the layout, the method comprises:

identifying a polygon'"'"'s edge in the layout which is susceptible to manufacturing problems; and

determining the first sample by determining an area in the layout within a first ambit of the polygon'"'"'s edge.

6. A computer-implemented method to perform proximity correction on a layout, the method comprising:

determining, by computer, a first proximity-correction which when applied to a first sample corrects a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with the first sample;

associating, in a database, the first sample with the first proximity-correction in a database; and

in response to determining that a rotated version of a second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout, applying the first proximity-correction to the second sample to correct a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with the second sample.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein associating the first sample with the first proximity-correction includes:

determining a first hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in the first sample; and

associating the first hash value with the first proximity-correction.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the rotated version of the second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout includes:

performing an exclusive-OR operation between the first sample and the rotated version of the second sample to obtain an exclusive-OR result; and

determining whether the exclusive-OR result contains any polygons.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method comprises:

identifying a polygon'"'"'s edge in the layout which is susceptible to manufacturing problems; and

determining the first sample by determining an area in the layout within a first ambit of the polygon'"'"'s edge.

10. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for proximity correction on a layout, the method comprising:

determining a first proximity-correction which when applied to a first sample corrects a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with the first sample;

associating the first sample with the first proximity-correction in a database; and

in response to determining that a rotated version of a second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout, applying the first proximity-correction to the second sample to correct a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with the second sample.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein associating the first sample with the first proximity-correction includes:

determining a first hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in the first sample; and

associating the first hash value with the first proximity-correction.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein determining that the rotated version of the second sample in the layout is substantially similar to the first sample in the layout includes:

performing an exclusive-OR operation between the first sample and the rotated version of the second sample to obtain an exclusive-OR result; and

determining whether the exclusive-OR result contains any polygons.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the method comprises:

identifying a polygon'"'"'s edge in the layout which is susceptible to manufacturing problems; and

determining the first sample by determining an area in the layout within a first ambit of the polygon'"'"'s edge.

14. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method to identify a manufacturing problem area in a layout, the method comprising:

performing a model-based simulation for a first sample in the layout to obtain a first simulation-result which indicates whether a feature associated with the first sample in the layout is expected to have manufacturing problems;

determining a first hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in the first sample;

associating the first hash value with the first simulation-result;

determining a second hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in a second sample; and

in response to determining that the second hash value is equal to the first hash value, using the first simulation-result to determine whether a feature associated with the second sample in the layout is expected to have manufacturing problems.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein performing the model-based simulation for the first sample includes convolving a process model with the first sample.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the method comprises:

identifying a polygon'"'"'s edge in the layout which is susceptible to manufacturing problems; and

determining the first sample by determining an area in the layout within a first ambit of the polygon'"'"'s edge.

17. A system for performing proximity correction on a layout, the system comprising:

a database which associates a first hash value with a first proximity correction which corrects a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with a first sample in the layout;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for determining a second hash value based at least on coordinates of one or more polygons in a second sample;

instructions for querying the database using the second hash value to obtain the first proximity correction, wherein the database returns the first proximity correction if the second hash value is equal to the first hash value; and

instructions for applying the first proximity correction to the second sample to correct a manufacturing problem in a feature associated with the second sample.

18. The system of claim 17, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for identifying a polygon'"'"'s edge in the layout which is susceptible to manufacturing problems; and

instructions for determining the first sample by determining an area in the layout within a first ambit of the polygon'"'"'s edge.

19. The system of claim 17, the instructions further comprising:

instructions for determining the first hash value based at least on coordinates associated with one or more polygons in the first sample; and

instructions for associating, in the database, the first hash value with the first proximity-correction.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the second sample is a rotated version of the first sample.