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Surface topography enhanced pattern (STEP) matching

  • US 9,026,954 B2
  • Filed: 01/17/2014
  • Issued: 05/05/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A process for enhancing a design file for generating a mask set having a plurality of masks used in lithographic processes to form a semiconductor device on a wafer, the process comprising:

  • processing a design data file, the design data file comprises information of design layers, wherein a design layer is used for generating a mask of the mask set, the information includes patterns of the design layers, wherein processing the design data file comprisesanalyzing using a topography analysis module, the patterns of the design layers of the design data file comprisingperforming a first analysis, wherein the first analysis comprises a topography analysis to determine accumulated topography information, wherein accumulated topography information comprises topography information of wafer which includes underlying topography information of the wafer processed by masks of underlying design layers, wherein regions of design layers are categorized according to a topography classification which is based on topographical height in each region relative to a baseline height, andperforming a second analysis, wherein the second analysis comprises a pattern analysis which comprises matching patterns of the masks to base patterns;

    wherein matching patterns comprises classifying the matched patterns based on the topography profile, wherein the matched pattern is assigned a weight value according to type of topography profile or region andenhancing using a pattern enhancement module, patterns of the design layers in the design data file based on the first and second analyses.

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