Simplified optical proximity correction based on 1-dimension versus 2-dimension pattern shape classification

• US 7,263,683 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Capodieci, Luigi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun James
• Application Number:
  US10/935,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 716/21, 716/19
• 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 system that facilitates optical proximity correction comprises a layout that is desirably transferred to a silicon wafer, and an optical proximity correction component that alters the layout based at least in part upon a distinction between one-dimensional patterns and two-dimensional patterns within the layout. The system can comprise a block generator that replaces two-dimensional patterns within the layout with blocks. A model-based optical proximity correction component thereafter performs model-based optical proximity correction upon one-dimensional patterns within the layout.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates optical proximity correction, comprising:

a layout that is desirably transferred to a silicon wafer;

a block generator that covers with blocks selected two-dimensional patterns on the layout; and

a model-based optical proximity correction component that alters the layout based at least in part upon a distinction between one-dimensional patterns and two-dimensional patterns within the layout by applying model-based optical proximity correction only upon the one-dimensional patterns hence saving time and computational resources.

2. The system of claim 1, the blocks being one or more of rectangular and square blocks.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of size, shape, and position of the blocks placed upon the layout is based upon a set of pre-defined rules.

4. The system of claim 3, the set of pre-defined rules are accessible over a network.

5. The system of claim 1, at least one of the blocks placed upon the layout by the block generator is obtained from a library of blocks.

6. The system of claim 5, the library of blocks accessible over a network.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a categorization component that categorizes a pattern within the layout as one of one-dimensional and two-dimensional.

8. The system of claim 7, the categorization component utilizes a graphical rendering of the layout to facilitate categorization of the pattern.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a designer has labeled a pattern within the layout as one of one-dimensional and two-dimensional.

10. The system of claim 1, the layout is generated automatically based upon a design of an integrated circuit developed in a software tool.

11. The system of claim 1, a corner and an area proximate thereto within the layout constitutes a two-dimensional pattern.

12. The system of claim 1, at least a portion of a straight edge within the layout constitutes a one-dimensional pattern.

13. The system of claim 1, the altered layout printed onto a mask.

14. The system of claim 13, the mask employed in a lithography process.

15. A method for generating optical proximity correction data, comprising:

receiving layout data, the layout data represents a layout that is desirably transferred to a silicon wafer;

differentiating between one-dimensional patterns and two-dimensional patterns within the layout;

covering patterns classified as two-dimensional with blocks; and

generating the optical proximity correction data only for patterns classified as one-dimensional thereby saving time and computational resources.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating an integrated circuit design based upon a desired functionality; and

automatically creating the layout data based at least in part upon the integrated circuit design.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising utilizing a model-based optical proximity correction technique upon patterns within the layout not covered by the blocks to at least partially generate the optical proximity correction data.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting one or more of size, shape, and placement of a block that covers a two-dimensional pattern based upon one or more pre-defined rules.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a mask based at least in part upon the generated optical proximity data.

20. The method of claim 15, the layout obtained from an imaging of a mask.

21. A system that facilitates performing optical proximity correction upon a mask layout, comprising:

means for categorizing a plurality of patterns within the mask layout as two-dimensional;

means for replacing the patterns categorized as two-dimensional patterns with blocks; and

means for applying a model-based optical proximity correction technique upon at least a pattern not categorized as two-dimensional hence saving time and computational resources.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for selecting one or more of size, shape, and position of at least one of the blocks.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for creating a mask based at least in part upon the performed optical proximity correction.

24. An optical proximity correction system, comprising:

a layout that comprises a plurality of shapes, the layout desirably patterned onto a silicon wafer;

a component that automatically categorizes a portion of a shape within the layout as two-dimensional;

a block generator that replaces the portion of the shape categorized as two-dimensional with a block; and

a model-based optical proximity correction component that performs model-based optical proximity correction upon a remainder of the shape hence saving time and computational resources.