Method and program for processing design pattern of semiconductor integrated circuit

• US 6,637,010 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, SUN J
• Application Number:
  US09/965,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 716/1-14, 714/1-14
• 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

Abstract

A method for processing design pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes determining whether or not there are lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below a threshold, and if there are such lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below the threshold, collecting the lower-level cells to define a higher-level cell whose size is greater than the threshold and replacing the lower-level cells with the higher-level cell.

Claims

1. A method for processing design pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

determining whether there are lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below a threshold;

if there are such lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below the threshold, pairing a first lower-level cell with a second lower-level cell, that is adjacent to the first lower-level cell, to define a new cell whose size is greater than the threshold; and

replacing the first and second lower-level cells with the new cell.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

counting the number of times of appearance of the pair of the first and second lower-level cells; and

defining the pair of the first and second lower-level cells as the new cell if the number of times of appearance of the pair is equal to two or greater.

3. The method of claim 2, including:

counting the number of times of appearance of a first pair made of the first and second lower-level cells;

counting the number of times of appearance of a second pair made of third and fourth lower-level cells;

comparing the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs with each other to find a greater number between them; and

defining one of the first and second pairs corresponding to the greater number as the higher-level cell.

4. The method of claim 3, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

summing data quantities of the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair, to provide a first total;

summing data quantities of the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair, to provide a second total;

comparing the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

defining one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.

5. The method of claim 3, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

summing number of objects contained in the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair, to provide a first total;

summing number of objects contained in the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair, to provide a second total;

comparing the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

defining one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.

6. The method of claim 3, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

totaling dimensions in a given direction of the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair, to provide a first total;

totaling dimensions in the given direction of the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair, to provide a second total;

comparing the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

defining one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.

7. A method for processing design pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

determining whether there are lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below a threshold; and

if there are such lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below the threshold, combining the lower-level cells to define a new cell whose size is greater than the threshold; and

replacing the lower-level cells with the new cell;

wherein the threshold is twice as large as the frame width which is a distance to be referred to when carrying out pattern data processing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the frame width is (a) a maximum inspection distance in design rule checking, (b) a scattering length of back scattering electrons in electron beam proximity effect correction, or (c) a distance of optical proximity effect in optical proximity effect correction.

9. A computer program product for processing design pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

instructions which determine whether there are lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below a threshold;

instructions which pair, if there are such lower-level cells whose individual size is equal to or below the threshold, a first lower-level cell with a second lower-level cell that is adjacent to the first lower-level cell, to define a new cell whose size is greater than the threshold; and

instructions which replace the first and second lower-level cells with the new cell.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, including:

instructions which count the number of times of appearance of the pair of the first and second lower-level cells; and

instructions which define the pair of the first and second lower-level cells as the new cell if the number of times of appearance of the pair is equal to two or greater.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, including:

instructions which count the number of times of appearance of a first pair made of the first and second lower-level cells;

instructions which count the number of times of appearance of a second pair made of third and fourth lower-level cells;

instructions which compare the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs with each other to find a greater number between them; and

instructions which define one of the first and second pairs corresponding to the greater number as the higher-level cell.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

instructions which sum data quantities of the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair and provide a first total;

instructions which sum data quantities of the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair and provide a second total;

instructions which compare the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

instructions which define one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

instructions which sum number of objects contained in the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair and provide a first total;

instructions which sum number of objects contained in the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair and provide a second total;

instructions which compare the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

instructions which define one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, including, if the numbers of times of appearance of the first and second pairs are equal to each other:

instructions which total dimensions in a given direction of the first and second lower-level cells in the first pair and provide a first total;

instructions which total dimensions in the given direction of the third and fourth lower-level cells in the second pair and provide a second total;

instructions which compare the first and second totals with each other to find a larger total between them; and

instructions which define one of the first and second pairs having the larger total as the higher-level cell.