Mask-pattern determination using topology types

• US 7,921,385 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Luminescent Technologies, Inc. (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Ashton, Christopher James, Abrams, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/538,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,645 Days
• Field of Search: 716 19- 21, 716 50- 55, 430/5, 430/22, 430/30
• US Class Current: 716/50
• 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 1/68 Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50

Abstract

A method for determining a mask pattern is described. During the method, a first mask pattern that includes a plurality of second regions corresponding to the first regions of the photo-mask is provided. Then, a second mask pattern is determined based on the first mask pattern and differences between a target pattern and an estimate of a wafer pattern that results from the photolithographic process that uses at least a portion of the first mask pattern. Note that the determining includes different treatment for different types of regions in the target pattern, and the second mask pattern and the target pattern include pixilated images.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a mask pattern to be used on a photo-mask in a photolithographic process, comprising:

determining, by a computer, a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining includes different treatment for different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

2. A computer-implemented method for determining a mask pattern to be used on a photo-mask in a photolithographic process, comprising:

determining, via the computer, a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter includes weights of the different types of regions when calculating a merit function.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the regions are associated with different geometries of the target pattern, and wherein the different geometries include at least one of line ends, inner corners, outer corners, and straight regions.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the regions are associated with transistor gates.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein a first type of region including one or more corners in the target pattern has a lower weight than a second type of region including one or more straight portions in the target pattern.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the weights are defined in accordance with user criteria.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the weights are defined in accordance with topology of one or more types of regions in the target pattern.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the weights are associated with features in the target pattern.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one parameter includes different convergence criteria for the different types of regions.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one parameter includes different mask rules for the different types of regions.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the model of the photo-lithographic process includes a photo-resist model or an etch model.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the pixel based representation uses gray-scale values to provide for sub-pixel resolution.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining is performed at sub-pixel resolution.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining is performed over a range of process conditions in the photo-lithographic process.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the different types of regions at least partially overlap.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one type of region in the different types of regions includes one or more gates in an integrated circuit.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the different types of regions include regions defined based on at least a subset of functionality in an integrated circuit.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining is performed in accordance with an optical proximity correction algorithm.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining includes calculating a gradient of a merit function, wherein the gradient is calculated in accordance with a formula obtained by taking a derivative of the merit function, and wherein the merit function corresponds to a difference of the information in the image at the output of the model of the photolithographic process and the target pattern.

21. A non-transitory computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein for determining a mask pattern to be used on a photo-mask in a photolithographic process, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for determining a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

instructions for representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

instructions for determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

22. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory; and

at least one program module, the program module stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, wherein at least the program module is for determining a mask pattern to be used on a photo-mask in a photolithographic process, the program module including;

instructions for determining a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

instructions for representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

instructions for determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

23. A photo-mask for use in a photolithographic process, wherein a mask pattern to which the photo-mask corresponds is determined in a process including the operations of:

determining, by a computer, a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

24. A semiconductor wafer, wherein the semiconductor wafer is produced in a photo-lithographic process that includes a photo-mask, wherein a mask pattern to which the photo-mask corresponds is determined in a process including the operations of:

determining, by a computer, a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

representing a first mask pattern with a pixel based representation;

determining a second mask pattern in accordance with the first mask pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.

25. A data file stored in a computer-readable memory, comprising information corresponding to a mask pattern, wherein the mask pattern corresponds to a photo-mask that is to print a wafer pattern in a semiconductor-manufacturing process, wherein the mask pattern is determined in a process that includes the operations of:

determining, by a computer, a set of regions corresponding to different locations on a target pattern;

representing a first pattern with a pixel based representation;

determining a second pattern in accordance with the first pattern, the target pattern and a model of a photolithographic process, wherein the determining is dependent upon at least one parameter, wherein the value of the parameter is different for the different regions in the set of regions, wherein the determining involves an inverse optical calculation in which the second mask pattern in the model of the photolithographic process is calculated based on the model of the photolithographic process and information in an image at an output of the model of the photolithographic process, wherein determining the second mask pattern involves a rectilinear-projection operation having a minimum segment length, and wherein the rectilinear-projection operation conserves an area of features in the second mask pattern.