System and method for providing defect printability analysis of photolithographic masks with job-based automation

• US 7,617,474 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Inventors: Pang, Linyong, Chang, Fang-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek; Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US11/426,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 716/4, 716 19- 21, 702/59, 702/81, 382/144, 382/145, 382/149, 430/5, 430/30, 703 13- 17, 703/22
• US Class Current: 716/139
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/84 Inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/705 Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70666 Aerial image, i.e. measuring the image of the patterned exposure light at the image plane of the projection system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0006 using a design-rule based approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern

Abstract

Serious defects on a mask can compromise the functionality of the integrated circuits formed on the wafer. Nuisance defects, which do not affect the functionality, waste expensive resources. A defect analysis tool with job-based automation can accurately and efficiently determine defect printability. This tool can run a job, using a mask file, to simulate the wafer exposure that the mask would provide under a given set of parameters. These parameters can relate to the mask itself, the inspection system used to create the mask file, and the stepper that can be used to expose the mask. The processes performed during the job can be done uniformly for defects on the mask. This uniformity allows the tool to efficiently run multiple jobs. The results of the job can be presented using different levels of detail to facilitate user review.

Claims

1. A graphic user interface (GUI) for defect printability analysis on a photolithographic mask using simulation, the GUI comprising:

a main menu bar including;

a plurality of setting links;

a job run link; and

a plurality of review links,

wherein the plurality of setting links allow a user to input parameters used to perform the simulation on the photolithographic mask, the job run link allows a user to designate a job type as one of the simulation and an automatic defect severity score, and the plurality of review links allow the user to view results of the simulation at different levels of detail.

2. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the plurality of setting links include:

a mask setting link;

a stepper setting link; and

an inspection system link.

3. The GUI of claim 2, wherein the mask setting link is associated with a mask parameter screen that allows a user to input parameters regarding the photolithographic mask, the parameters including a name, a type, a phase, and a transmission.

4. The GUI of claim 2, wherein the stepper setting link is associated with a stepper parameter screen that allows a user to input parameters regarding a stepper usable for exposing the photolithographic mask, the parameters including a name, a wavelength, a numerical aperture, a reduction, a defocus, and an illumination.

5. The GUI of claim 2, wherein the inspection system link is associated with a inspection system parameter screen that allows a user to input parameters regarding an inspection system used to inspect the photolithographic mask, the parameters including a name, a vendor, and a model.

6. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the job run link is associated with a job parameter screen that allows a user to input parameters regarding a job to provide the defect printability analysis, the parameters including the job type and a reuse old recipe.

7. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the plurality of review links include:

a first level review link, the first level review link being associated with a first screen that allows a user to search for the defect printability analysis;

a second level review link, the second level review link being associated with a second screen that allows a user to view defect printability analysis results for the photolithographic mask; and

a third level review link, the third level review link being associated with a third screen that allows a user to view defect printability analysis results for each defect on the photolithographic mask.

8. The GUI of claim 7, wherein the first screen includes filters to find particular mask data or jobs to review.

9. The GUI of claim 7, wherein the second screen includes a representation of defect severity.

10. The GUI of claim 7, wherein the third screen includes:

a defect image of each defect;

a reference image associated with that defect image; and

simulated results associated with those defect and reference images.

11. The GUI of claim 7, wherein the third screen further includes a status parameter for each reviewed defect.