Optical proximity correction system

• US 6,077,310 A
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyama, Sachiko, Inoue, Soichi, Koyama, Kiyomi, Yamamoto, Kazuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARBOWSKI, LEIGH M
• Application Number:
  US09/239,770
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 364/488, 364/489, 364/490, 364/491, 395/500.05, 395/500.06, 395/500.07, 716/19, 716/20, 716/21, 430/30, 430/296, 430/942
• US Class Current: 716/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/36 Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70441 Optical proximity correction [OPC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/143 Electron beam

Abstract

Pattern data that is an object of correction is divided into an area on which correction is made using correction values that have been obtained in advance for patterns and their respective layouts and an area on which correction is made on the basis of correction values calculated by a simulator. For example, simulation-based correction is made on a gate layer in a memory, while rule-based correction is made on a gate layer in the other area than the memory on the basis of rules for active gate width only. After being subjected to the correction, the areas are combined.

Claims

1. An apparatus for correcting an optical proximity effect in a lithography process for an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) pattern, said apparatus comprising:

a hierarchical processing portion for extracting area data to be processed from hierarchical data and inputting/outputting the area data;

a rule-based correction portion for performing correction by use of a correction value calculated beforehand, such that the correction corresponds to a pattern and layout data surrounding the pattern;

a simulation-based correction portion for calculating an amount of correction and executing correction based on a process simulating program; and

a determination portion for dividing the pattern and layout data into areas to be corrected by rule-based correction and areas to be corrected by simulation-based correction, and for determining which correction portion, the rule-based correction portion and the simulation-based correction portion, should be used for correcting each of the areas.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

4. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium and a computer program code embedded in the computer readable medium to control a central processor;

a first computer code configured to input data to be processed;

a second computer code configured to divide the data into areas to be corrected by rule-based correction and areas to be corrected by simulation-based correction;

a third computer code configured to perform rule-based correction on the areas to be corrected by the rule-based correction which meet rules; and

a fourth computer code configured to perform simulation-based correction on the areas to be corrected by simulation-based correction.

5. A computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

6. A computer program product according to claim 4, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

7. An optical proximity correction method for controlling accuracy in LSI (Large-Scale Integration), said method comprising the steps of:

inputting data to be processed;

dividing the data into areas to be corrected by rule-based correction and areas to be corrected by simulation-based correction;

performing rule-based correction on the areas to be corrected by rule-base correction which meet rules; and

performing simulation-based correction on the areas to be corrected by simulation-based correction.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium and a computer program code embedded in the computer readable medium to control a central processor;

a first computer code mechanism configured to input data to be processed;

a second computer code mechanism configured to perform rule-based correction on parts which do not meet rules; and

a third computer code mechanism configured to execute simulation-based correction on the rule-based correction data.

11. A computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

12. A computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium and a computer program code embedded in the computer readable medium to control a central processor;

a first computer code mechanism configured to input data to be processed;

a second computer code mechanism configured to perform rule-based correction on parts which meet rules; and

a third computer code mechanism configured to execute simulation-based correction on the rule-based correction data.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

16. An optical proximity correction method for controlling accuracy in LSI (Large-Scale Integration), said method comprising the steps of:

inputting data to be processed;

performing rule-based correction on parts which meet rules; and

executing simulation-based correction on the rule-based corrected data.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

19. An optical proximity correction method for controlling accuracy in LSI (Large-Scale Integration), said method comprising the steps of:

inputting data to be processed;

performing rule-based correction on parts which meet rules;

extracting parts which do not meet rules; and

executing simulation-based correction on the extracted parts.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

22. An apparatus for correcting an optical proximity effect in a lithography process for an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) pattern, said apparatus comprising:

a processing portion for processing data to be input and output;

a rule-based correction portion for performing rule-based correction on parts which meet rules; and

a simulation-based correction portion for executing simulation-based correction on the rule-based correction data.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features at pattern corners.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.

25. An apparatus for correcting an optical proximity effect in a lithography process for an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) pattern, said apparatus comprising:

a processing portion for processing data to be input and output;

a rule-based correction portion for performing rule-based correction on parts which meet rules;

a portion for extracting parts which do not meet rules; and

a simulation-based correction portion for executing simulation-based correction on the extracted parts.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features pattern corners.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the rule-based correction includes placement rules of assist features which are smaller than a resolution limit.