Graphical interrupt method, image processing method, device, medium and program product

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor, in particular to a pattern breaking method, an image processing method, equipment, a medium and a program product. The pattern breaking method is used for optical proximity correction, and comprises the following steps: providing an initial pattern, obtaining a side edge to be processed on the initial pattern and end points located on both sides of the side edge to be processed; determining a first position on the side edge to be processed, and performing point-by-point breaking between the end points and the first position; determining a second position on the side edge to be processed, and performing non-projection area breaking between the first position and the second position; obtaining an auxiliary pattern corresponding to the side edge to be processed, determining a third position on the side edge to be processed according to a projection of the auxiliary pattern mapped on the side edge to be processed, and performing projection breaking between the second position and the third position; and performing uniform breaking between two third positions of the same side edge to be processed, so as to obtain all segments of the side edge to be processed after being broken.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a graphic interruption method, an image processing method, a device, a medium and a program product. [Background Technology]

[0002] As semiconductor process technology becomes smaller and smaller, the graphic pitch of the design pattern gradually decreases, and the optical proximity effect (OPE) becomes more and more obvious, playing an increasingly important role in the entire process of integrated circuit design (Electronic Design Automation, EDA).

[0003] To meet manufacturing requirements, computational lithography technology has gradually evolved and iterated. One direction of this evolution is resolution enhancement, with mainstream methods including Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) and Sub-Resolution Assist Feature (SRAF) placement. To design the mask layout shape and achieve highly accurate OPC results, DRC (Design Rule Check) is required on the design pattern. This involves initial layout processing, dissection of polygon edges, and biasing to achieve the desired result. As the area of ​​semiconductor design layouts increases, the accuracy and speed requirements of the simulation process increase, making optimization of existing processes a critical concern.

[0004] In the existing technology, the priority of edge breaking (also known as edge removal) of polygons is fixed as point-by-point breaking, projection breaking, and uniform breaking. After these types of breaking are performed, special breaking methods (such as intersection breaking, Euclidean radius breaking, etc.) are selected according to the specific environment. The existing technology has a fixed order for breaking graphics and the breaking method is consistent. The breaking flexibility is not high and cannot meet the breaking requirements of different feature graphics, which leads to low accuracy and slow speed of computational lithography. [Summary of the invention]

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem that the interruption method of the existing optical proximity correction technology is not flexible enough and cannot meet the interruption requirements of different feature patterns, which in turn leads to poor accuracy and speed of computational lithography, the present invention provides a graphic interruption method, image processing method, equipment, medium and program product.

[0006] The solution to the technical problem of the present invention is to provide a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Providing an initial graphic, obtaining a side edge to be processed on the initial graphic and endpoints located on both sides of the side edge to be processed;

[0008] Determine, on the side to be processed, a first position spaced apart from each corresponding endpoint by a first length, and perform point-by-point interruption between the endpoint and the first position;

[0009] Determine, on the side to be processed, a second position that is on a side away from the corresponding endpoint of each first position and separated by a second length, and interrupt the projection-free zone between the first position and the second position;

[0010] Obtaining an auxiliary graphic corresponding to the side to be processed, and determining, based on a projection of the auxiliary graphic onto the side to be processed, a third position on the side to be processed that is located on a side away from the corresponding first position and separated by a third length from each second position, and interrupting the projection between the second position and the third position;

[0011] The same side edge to be processed is evenly interrupted between the two third positions to obtain all the interrupted segments of the side edge to be processed.

[0012] Preferably, performing point-by-point interruption between the endpoint and the first position comprises the following steps:

[0013] Obtaining preset point-by-point interruption parameters, wherein the preset point-by-point interruption parameters include a first threshold, a second threshold, a third threshold, a fourth threshold, a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, and a fourth parameter;

[0014] Determining the types of the endpoints located on both sides of the side to be processed, where the types of the endpoints include convex points and concave points;

[0015] When the endpoint type is a convex point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the first threshold, and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the second threshold, then call the first parameter to perform point-by-point interruption; otherwise, call the second parameter to perform point-by-point interruption;

[0016] When the endpoint type is a concave point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the third threshold, and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the fourth threshold, the third parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption; otherwise, the fourth parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption.

[0017] Preferably, interrupting the projection-free zone between the first position and the second position comprises the following steps:

[0018] Obtaining preset no-projection zone interruption parameters, wherein the preset no-projection zone interruption parameters include a first unit interruption length and a first interruption number;

[0019] After completing the point-by-point interruption, uniform interruption with an interval of the first unit interruption length is performed between the first position and the second position according to the first number of interruptions.

[0020] Preferably, before the projection is interrupted, preset projection interruption parameters are first obtained, wherein the preset projection interruption parameters include a near projection threshold and a far projection threshold, a second unit interruption length and a second number of interruptions corresponding to the near projection threshold, and a third unit interruption length and a third number of interruptions corresponding to the far projection threshold;

[0021] When the distance between the corner of the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is less than the near projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the second unit interruption length and the second interruption number;

[0022] When the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the third unit interruption length and the third interruption number.

[0023] Preferably, performing projection interruption between the second position and the third position comprises the following steps:

[0024] Acquire a projection area formed by a parallel projection of the auxiliary graphic mapping between the second position and the third position;

[0025] Obtaining the preset projection interruption parameter and calculating the distance, and when the distance is less than the near projection threshold, performing uniform interruptions at intervals of the second unit interruption length between the second position and the third position, avoiding the projection area, according to the second interruption number;

[0026] When the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, uniform interruption with an interval of the third unit interruption length is performed between the second position and the third position, avoiding the projection area according to the third number of interruptions.

[0027] Preferably, uniform interruption is performed between the third positions of the same side to be processed, comprising the following steps:

[0028] Determine the side type of the side to be processed to obtain preset uniform interruption parameters, where the side type includes a short side and a long side, and the preset uniform interruption parameters include a short side unit interruption length and a number of short side interruptions corresponding to the short side and the long side, and a long side unit interruption length and a number of long side interruptions corresponding to the long side;

[0029] Determining whether the spacing between the third positions of the same side edge to be processed is less than a first preset value; if the side edge type is a short edge and the spacing is less than the first preset value, reducing the short edge unit interruption length while being no less than a second preset value, and performing even interruptions at intervals equal to the reduced short edge unit interruption length based on the number of short edge interruptions, so as to produce an integer number of segments;

[0030] When the side type is a long side and the spacing is greater than the first preset value, the first uniform interruption is performed from the third position to the side away from the endpoint, with an interval of the short side unit interruption length according to the number of short side interruptions, and then the second uniform interruption is performed with an interval of the long side unit interruption length according to the number of long side interruptions.

[0031] Preferably, after the second uniform interruption is performed based on the number of long side interruptions and the unit interruption length of the long side, the remaining portion between the third positions of the side to be processed that is less than the unit interruption length of the long side is evenly divided into each segment generated by the second uniform interruption.

[0032] The present invention also provides an image processing method for optical proximity correction, which includes the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method.

[0033] The present invention also provides a computer device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method.

[0034] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program implements the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method when executed by a processor.

[0035] The present invention also provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program, which implements the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method when executed by a processor.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the graphic interruption method, image processing method, device, medium and program product provided by the present invention have the following advantages:

[0037] 1. In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the order of interruption is point-by-point interruption, projection-free area interruption, projection interruption, and uniform interruption. Compared with the existing interruption method, the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention adds projection-free area interruption, and only needs to configure parameter values ​​in the script to interrupt the selected side edges to be processed in the specified order. There are relatively more interruption positions, and the configured parameters are more in line with the actual layout requirements, and the results obtained in the mask optimization process are more accurate.

[0038] It should be noted that the first position separated from the endpoint by a first length, the second position separated from the first position by a second length, and the third position separated from the second position by a third length are determined by pre-configured parameters. The first length, the second length, and the third length can be set manually to further avoid fixed interruption methods with low flexibility. By determining the position ranges of several interruption methods in advance, such as the first position, the second position, and the third position, the efficiency and accuracy of interrupting the side to be processed can be improved, thereby improving the accuracy and speed of computational lithography.

[0039] 2. In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the length attribute of the side to be processed is first determined using pre-configured parameters before point-by-point interruption. The interruption rules for the sides to be processed with different length attributes are different. The length attributes include the type of endpoint, the length of the side to be processed, and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed. Through this design, the less flexible point-by-point interruption method can be avoided, and the point-by-point interruption of the side to be processed can be quickly realized with higher flexibility.

[0040] 3. In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, a projection-free zone interruption is first configured before projection interruption. Through this design, the flexibility of the entire interruption process can be improved, the final contour of the initial graphic can be optimized, and the corner positions adjacent to the side to be processed can be ensured not to be affected by the non-uniform projection interruption, thereby avoiding affecting the final generated contour result.

[0041] 4. In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, before projection interruption, the distance between the corners on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is divided into a near projection area and a far projection area, and different parameters are called for interruption according to the near projection area and the far projection area respectively; by setting a projection interruption after the interruption in the forbidden projection area, the influence of auxiliary graphics of different distances on the interruption effect can be flexibly determined.

[0042] 5. In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the side type of the side to be processed is first determined before uniform interruption, and different uniform interruption parameters are called to perform uniform interruption according to whether the side to be processed is a long side or a short side, so as to make the interruption process simpler and the interruption accuracy higher.

[0043] 6. An embodiment of the present invention further provides an image processing method for optical proximity correction. This image processing method has the same beneficial effects as the above-mentioned graphic interruption method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0044] 7. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer device, which has the same beneficial effects as the above-mentioned graphic interruption method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] 8. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which has the same beneficial effects as the above-mentioned graphic interruption method and is not described in detail here.

[0046] 9. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product, which has the same beneficial effects as the above-mentioned graphic interruption method and is not described in detail here.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0048] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of steps S1 to S4 in a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of steps S21 to S24 in a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of steps S31 to S32 in a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of steps S41 to S43 in a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 5 It is a flowchart diagram of steps S51 to S53 in a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a framework of a computer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 7It is a schematic diagram of a framework of a computer-readable storage medium provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the framework of a computer program product provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of point-by-point interruption, projection-free zone interruption and uniform interruption process segments in a graphic interruption method for optical proximity correction provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Description of the accompanying drawings:

[0058] 1. Computer equipment; 11. Storage; 12. Processor;

[0059] 2. Computer-readable storage medium;

[0060] 3. Computer program products;

[0061] 100. Computer program. [Specific implementation method]

[0062] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and implementation examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0063] In the embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0064] It should be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout this specification mean that specific features, structures, or characteristics associated with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the appearance of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in this specification are all optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required for the present invention.

[0065] In various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0066] The flow charts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings of the present invention illustrate the possible implementation architecture, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, program segment or a part of code, and the module, program segment or a part of code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation schemes, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order than those marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, which is determined based on the functions involved. It should be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0067] It is understandable that in the existing OPC interruption technology, the commonly used interruption methods are point-by-point interruption, projection interruption, uniform interruption and other special interruption methods (such as intersection interruption, Euclidean radius interruption, etc.) in sequence to achieve the segmentation of polygon edges; the existing interruption methods can basically meet the interruption requirements of different feature graphics and comply with the process specifications of layout design, but there are still some defects and there is room for optimization.

[0068] First, the existing interruption method is not very flexible. After point-by-point interruption and projection interruption, the currently supported uniform interruption scheme is to uniformly configure uniform segmentation parameters for all remaining segments (interrupted edges / interrupted segments). However, the geometric environments of different layouts may be different, and the final contour shape and OPC accuracy will also be affected. This may lead to poor simulation results and failure to pass the LRC (Lithography Rule Check) test.

[0069] Secondly, the design idea of ​​the existing technology is to separate the various interruption modes and configure the parameters of each interruption separately through scripts; this interruption method will ignore the characteristics of the layout to a certain extent, causing users to have to refer to the surrounding environment and the influence of special graphics when configuring various interruption parameters, and determine whether to set a special interruption method depending on the situation.

[0070] In view of this, the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention improves the existing interruption method, introduces a new interruption method in the mask optimization process, configures a series of parameters before interruption, and during the interruption process, only the pre-configured parameters need to be called to implement interruption steps including point-by-point interruption, projection interruption and uniform interruption; through this design, the redundancy of writing code lines in each interruption process can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the interruption process.

[0071] The technical solution of the present invention will be described below.

[0072] See also Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction, comprising the following steps:

[0073] S1: Provide an initial graphic, obtain the side to be processed on the initial graphic and the endpoints on both sides of the side to be processed;

[0074] S2: determining a first position on the side to be processed that is separated from each corresponding endpoint by a first length, and performing point-by-point interruption between the endpoint and the first position;

[0075] S3: determining a second position on the side to be processed that is away from the corresponding endpoint of each first position and separated by a second length, and interrupting a projection-free zone between the first position and the second position;

[0076] S4: Obtain an auxiliary graphic corresponding to the side to be processed, and determine, based on a projection of the auxiliary graphic onto the side to be processed, a third position on the side to be processed that is away from each second position on a side of the corresponding first position and separated by a third length, and interrupt the projection between the second position and the third position;

[0077] S5: evenly interrupting the same side edge to be processed between two third positions to obtain all the interrupted segments of the side edge to be processed.

[0078] In the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the order of interruption is point-by-point interruption, projection-free zone interruption, projection interruption and uniform interruption; specifically, the graphic interruption method of the embodiment of the present invention first obtains the initial graphic to obtain the side to be processed on the initial graphic and the endpoints on both sides of the side to be processed, wherein the number of endpoints on a side to be processed is two.

[0079] Subsequently, point-by-point interruption is performed between the endpoint and the first position on the side to be processed, projection-free zone interruption is performed between the first position and the second position, projection interruption is performed between the second position and the third position, and uniform interruption is performed between the two third positions of the same side to be processed, and finally all the fragments of the interrupted side to be processed are obtained.

[0080] It should be noted that the first position separated from the endpoint by a first length, the second position separated from the first position by a second length, and the third position separated from the second position by a third length are determined by pre-configured parameters. The first length, the second length, and the third length can be set manually to further avoid fixed interruption methods with low flexibility. By determining the position ranges of several interruption methods in advance, such as the first position, the second position, and the third position, the efficiency and accuracy of the side interruption to be processed can be improved.

[0081] Compared with the existing interruption method, the graphic interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention only needs to configure parameter values ​​in the script to interrupt the selected side edges to be processed in the specified order. The interruption positions are relatively more, and the configured parameters are more in line with the actual layout requirements, and the results obtained in the mask optimization process are more accurate.

[0082] The following will describe the specific steps S1 to S5 of the graphic interruption method.

[0083] First, in step S1, as the initial graphic that needs to be interrupted, the initial graphic can generally be provided manually. In this field, it specifically refers to a polygon located on the chip design layout, mainly a Mahatton graphic (that is, a polygon whose angles between any two sides are multiples of 90°); the side to be processed on the initial graphic is the side to be interrupted later, and the endpoints on both sides of the side to be processed are used as reference points, and operations such as point-by-point interruption, projection-prohibited area interruption, projection interruption and uniform interruption are performed in sequence.

[0084] In step S2, the range between the endpoint and the first position is determined as the point-by-point interruption range, and point-by-point interruption is performed; in step S3, the range between the first position and the second position is determined as the projection-free zone interruption range, and projection-free zone interruption is performed to improve the flexibility of the entire interruption process. The result of the projection-free zone interruption part does not allow the use of subsequent projection interruption.

[0085] In step S4, the range between the second position and the third position is determined as the projection interruption range, and the influence of the surrounding environment, that is, the auxiliary graphics on the side to be processed, needs to be considered; the projection of the auxiliary graphics that meets the conditions needs to be mapped on the side to be processed, and the projection interruption is performed by dividing the near projection area or the far projection area, so as to flexibly determine the influence of auxiliary graphics of different distances on the interruption effect.

[0086] In step S5, the area between two third positions of the same side edge to be processed is determined as a uniform interruption range, and uniform interruption is performed.

[0087] It should be noted that in the interruption process from step S2 to step S5, the number of the first position, the second position and the third position are all two. First, point-by-point interruption is performed from the two end points of the side to be processed to the corresponding first position, and then the projection-free area interruption is performed from the two first positions to the corresponding second positions. Then, projection interruption is performed from the two second positions to the corresponding third positions, and finally, uniform interruption is performed between the two third positions.

[0088] The steps of the pattern interruption method provided in the embodiment of the present invention solve the technical problem that the interruption method of the existing optical proximity correction technology is not flexible enough and cannot meet the interruption requirements of different feature patterns, thereby resulting in poor accuracy and speed of computational lithography.

[0089] See also Figure 2 , making a point-by-point break between the endpoint and the first position, including the following steps:

[0090] S21: Obtaining preset point-by-point interruption parameters, where the preset point-by-point interruption parameters include a first threshold, a second threshold, a third threshold, a fourth threshold, a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, and a fourth parameter;

[0091] S22: Determine the types of endpoints located on both sides of the side to be processed, where the types of endpoints include convex points and concave points;

[0092] S23: When the endpoint type is a convex point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the first threshold, and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the second threshold, call the first parameter to perform point-by-point interruption; otherwise, call the second parameter to perform point-by-point interruption;

[0093] S24: When the endpoint type is a concave point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the third threshold, and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the fourth threshold, the third parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption, otherwise the fourth parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption.

[0094] It can be understood that the embodiment of the present invention uses pre-configured parameters to first determine the side length attributes of the side to be processed. There are differences in the interruption rules applied to the sides to be processed with different side length attributes. The side length attributes include the type of endpoint, the length of the side to be processed, and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed. Through this design, the less flexible point-by-point interruption method can be avoided, and the interruption of the side to be processed can be quickly achieved.

[0095] It should be noted that after the Contour is generated, due to the Corner Rounding phenomenon caused by OPE, the placement of the Bias Layer at the Corner position is highly sensitive to the final Contour generation result, which will affect the Area Ratio of the LRC (Optical Rule Detection) of the polygon; therefore, greater flexibility is required for the interruption of the Corner position near the side to be processed.

[0096] In the technical solution of the present invention, in order to apply greater flexibility to the point-by-point interruption of the side to be processed, two interruption parameters are set between the endpoint and the first position; specifically, when the endpoint type is a convex point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the first threshold and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the second threshold, the two interruption parameters set are lineendside_major_length and lineendside_minor_length, otherwise the two interruption parameters set are convexside_major_length and convexside_minor_length.

[0097] When the endpoint type is a concave point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the third threshold and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the fourth threshold, the two interruption parameters set are spaceendside_major_length and spaceendside_minor_length respectively; otherwise, the two interruption parameters set are concaveside_major_length and concaveside_minor_length respectively.

[0098] The following will describe the specific steps S21 to S24 of the graphic interruption method.

[0099] First, in step S21, the preset point-by-point interruption parameters can be set manually, including the first threshold to the fourth threshold and the first parameter to the fourth parameter, wherein the first threshold and the third threshold are associated with the length of the side to be processed, and the second threshold and the fourth threshold are associated with the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present invention, the parameter of the first threshold is max_lineend_length, the parameter of the second threshold is min_lineendside_length, and both the first threshold and the second threshold correspond to convex points (Convex); the parameter of the third threshold is max_spaceend_length, the parameter of the fourth threshold is min_spaceendside_length, and both the third threshold and the fourth threshold correspond to concave points (Concave).

[0101] Secondly, in step S22, the type of endpoint is determined by the position of the side to be processed on the initial figure. In an initial figure, when the extension lines of the endpoints on both sides of the side to be processed do not enter the interior of the initial figure, the endpoint is a convex point; and when the extension lines of the endpoints on both sides of the side to be processed enter the interior of the initial figure, the endpoint is a concave point.

[0102] It can also be understood that in an initial figure, the endpoints located on either side of the side to be processed are formed by the intersection of the side to be processed and its adjacent side; any two sides of the initial figure can form two angles: the internal angle corresponding to the endpoint and the external angle adjacent to the internal angle at the endpoint, and the sum of the internal angle and the external angle is 360°. When the internal angle corresponding to the endpoints of the side to be processed is less than 180° or the external angle is greater than 180°, the endpoint is a convex point; when the internal angle corresponding to the endpoints of the side to be processed is greater than 180° or the external angle is less than 180°, the endpoint is a concave point.

[0103] Furthermore, in step S23, when the endpoint type is a convex point, the length of the side to be processed is compared with the first threshold, and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is compared with the second threshold. When both the length of the side to be processed is less than the first threshold and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides is greater than the second threshold, the first parameter will be called for point-by-point interruption, otherwise the second parameter will be directly called for point-by-point interruption.

[0104] In step S24, when the endpoint type is a concave point, the length of the side to be processed is compared with the third threshold, and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is compared with the fourth threshold. When both the length of the side to be processed is less than the third threshold and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides is greater than the fourth threshold, the third parameter will be called for point-by-point interruption, otherwise the fourth parameter will be directly called for point-by-point interruption.

[0105] See also Figure 3 , interrupting the projection-free zone between the first position and the second position, including the following steps:

[0106] S31: Obtaining preset interruption parameters of the no-projection zone, where the preset interruption parameters of the no-projection zone include a first unit interruption length and a first interruption number;

[0107] S32: After completing the point-by-point interruption, uniform interruption is performed between the first position and the second position at intervals of a first unit interruption length according to a first number of interruptions.

[0108] It can be understood that the no-projection zone interruption is actually a special kind of uniform interruption; before performing the no-projection zone interruption, you only need to pre-set the first unit interruption length and the first number of interruptions in the no-projection zone interruption parameters, and then you can perform uniform interruption between the first position and the second position based on the set first unit interruption length and the first number of interruptions.

[0109] Specifically, the order of interruption of the projection-free zone is set after the point-by-point interruption and before the projection interruption; in step S32, after the point-by-point interruption part is completed, the projection-free zone interruption part is immediately performed. The graphic interruption method of the embodiment of the present invention first configures the projection-free zone interruption once before the projection interruption. Through this design, the flexibility of the entire interruption process can be improved, and the final Contour of the initial graphic can be optimized. It can also ensure that the Corner position adjacent to the side to be processed will not be affected by the non-uniform projection interruption, thereby avoiding affecting the final generated Contour result.

[0110] It should be noted that the projection-free zone will be interrupted evenly between the first position and the second position on the side to be processed according to the first unit interruption length and the first number of interruptions set in step S31; as a special uniform interruption, the interruption result of the projection-free zone is not allowed to be continued to be used in the subsequent projection interruption process to protect this area from the impact of projection interruption.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present invention, the parameter of the first unit interruption length of the forbidden projection area interruption is forbidden_proj_length, and the parameter of the first interruption number is forbidden_proj_num.

[0112] Furthermore, before the projection is interrupted, the preset projection interruption parameters are obtained. The preset projection interruption parameters include a near projection threshold and a far projection threshold, as well as a second unit interruption length and a second number of interruptions corresponding to the near projection threshold, and a third unit interruption length and a third number of interruptions corresponding to the far projection threshold.

[0113] When the distance between the corner on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is less than the near projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the second unit interruption length and the second number of interruptions; when the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the third unit interruption length and the third number of interruptions.

[0114] See also Figure 4 , interrupting the projection between the second position and the third position, including the following steps:

[0115] S41: Acquire a projection area formed by parallel projection of the auxiliary graphic mapping between the second position and the third position;

[0116] S42: Obtaining preset projection interruption parameters and calculating the distance. When the distance is less than the near projection threshold, performing uniform interruption with intervals of a second unit interruption length in the projection area between the second position and the third position according to the second interruption number;

[0117] S43: When the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, uniformly interrupting the projection area between the second position and the third position with an interval of a third unit interruption length according to the third interruption number.

[0118] Compared with the existing projection interruption parameter definition, the embodiment of the present invention first divides the distance between the corners on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed into a near projection area and a far projection area, and calls different parameters for interruption according to the near projection area and the far projection area respectively.

[0119] It should be noted that by setting a projection interruption after the projection-free zone interruption, the impact of auxiliary graphics at different distances on the interruption effect can be flexibly determined; both the far projection zone and the near projection zone will affect the exposure of the initial graphic, among which the near projection zone has a relatively more significant exposure effect on the initial graphic. Therefore, the projection interruption parameters required for the near projection zone and the far projection zone may be slightly different. Due to the different exposure effects of the far and near projection zones on the initial graphic, the projection interruption parameters of these two parts are configured separately.

[0120] It can be understood that when the distance between the corner on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is less than the near projection threshold, the interruption parameters of the near projection area take effect, and the second unit interruption length and the second number of interruptions are used to perform projection interruption on the side to be processed; when the distance between the corner on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is between the near projection threshold and the far projection threshold, the interruption parameters of the far projection area take effect, and the third unit interruption length and the third number of interruptions are used to perform projection interruption on the side to be processed.

[0121] In an embodiment of the present invention, the parameter of the near projection threshold is short_proj_distance, the parameters of the second unit interruption length and the second interruption number corresponding to the near projection threshold are short_proj_length and short_proj_num respectively, the parameter of the far projection threshold is long_proj_distance, and the parameters of the third unit interruption length and the third interruption number corresponding to the far projection threshold are long_proj_length and long_proj_num respectively.

[0122] The following will describe the specific steps S41 to S43 of the graphic interruption method.

[0123] First, in step S41, the parallel projection of the auxiliary graphic needs to be mapped between the second position and the third position on the side to be processed to obtain a projection area. When the projection is interrupted, it will be interrupted from the two ends of the projection area toward the side away from the projection area.

[0124] Secondly, in step S42, it is necessary to first obtain the pre-set near projection threshold and far projection threshold, determine the distance between the corner on the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed, and determine whether the distance is in the near projection area or the far projection area, so as to select the corresponding projection interruption parameters.

[0125] In step S42, when the distance is less than the near projection threshold, the corners of the auxiliary graphic are within the near projection area, and the interruption parameters of the near projection area are called to perform uniform interruption with a second number of interruptions and an interval of a second unit interruption length.

[0126] In step S43, when the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, the corners of the auxiliary graphic are within the far projection area, and the interruption parameters of the far projection area are called to perform uniform interruption with a third number of interruptions and an interval of a third unit interruption length.

[0127] It should be noted that the auxiliary graphic corresponding to the side to be processed on the initial graphic may be far away from the initial graphic. When the distance between the corner of the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is greater than the far projection threshold, the corner of the auxiliary graphic has no effect on the side to be processed, and the projection is not interrupted.

[0128] See also Figure 5 , evenly interrupting between the third positions of the same side to be processed, including the following steps:

[0129] S51: Determine the side type of the side to be processed to obtain preset uniform interruption parameters, where the side types include short sides and long sides. The preset uniform interruption parameters include a short side unit interruption length and a number of short side interruptions corresponding to the short side and the long side, and a long side unit interruption length and a number of long side interruptions corresponding to the long side.

[0130] S52: Determine whether the spacing between the third positions of the same side edge to be processed is less than a first preset value. If the side edge type is a short side and the spacing is less than the first preset value, reduce the short side unit interruption length on the basis of not less than a second preset value, and perform even interruption at intervals equal to the reduced short side unit interruption length according to the number of short side interruptions, so as to generate an integer number of segments.

[0131] S53: When the side type is a long side and the spacing is greater than the first preset value, first perform a first uniform interruption with an interval of the short side unit interruption length from the third position to the side away from the endpoint according to the number of short side interruptions, and then perform a second uniform interruption with an interval of the long side unit interruption length according to the number of long side interruptions.

[0132] For uniform interruption, the embodiment of the present invention first determines the side type of the side to be processed, and calls different uniform interruption parameters for uniform interruption according to whether the side to be processed is a long side or a short side, so as to make the interruption process simpler and the interruption accuracy higher.

[0133] The following will describe the specific steps S51 to S53 of the graphic interruption method.

[0134] It is understandable that in step S51, before uniform interruption, it is necessary to first obtain the preset uniform interruption parameters. When the side to be processed is determined to be a short side, the uniform interruption process is effective based on the short side unit interruption length and the number of short side interruptions; when the side to be processed is determined to be a long side, the uniform interruption process is effective based on the long side unit interruption length and the number of long side interruptions, and the short side unit interruption length and the number of short side interruptions.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present invention, the parameters of the short side unit interruption length and the short side interruption times are run_length and run_num respectively, and the parameters of the long side unit interruption length and the long side interruption times are run_long_length and run_long_num respectively.

[0136] The long side or short side is determined by the following formula:

[0137] short_len=

[0138] 2*(max_minor_length+max_major_length)+run_num*run_length

[0139] It should be noted that when the length of the side to be processed is greater than the value of short_len, it is defined as the long side, otherwise it is defined as the short side; max_minor_length is the maximum value of lineendside_minor_length, spaceendside_minor_length, convexside_minor_length and concaveside_minor_length set point by point; max_major_length is the maximum value of lineendside_major_length, spaceendside_major_length, convexside_major_length and concaveside_major_length set point by point.

[0140] In step S52 , it is necessary to first determine whether the spacing between the third positions of the same side to be processed is less than a first preset value. In this embodiment, the first preset value is the product of 2*run_length and (run_num+1).

[0141] When the side type of the side to be processed is determined to be a short side and the spacing is less than the first preset value, it is necessary to reduce the short side interruption length on the basis of not less than the second preset value. The second preset value in this embodiment is the minimum length that needs to be met between the third positions of the same side to be processed. According to the number of short side interruptions, the short side interruption length is evenly interrupted with an interval of the reduced length.

[0142] In step S53, when the side type of the side to be processed is determined to be a long side and the spacing is greater than a first preset value, the first uniform interruption is first performed at two third positions toward the side away from their respective endpoints, and the first uniform interruption process is effective with the interval as the short side unit interruption length and the number of times as the short side interruption number; after the first uniform interruption is completed, the second uniform interruption is immediately performed with the interval as the long side unit interruption length and the number of times as the long side interruption number.

[0143] In some embodiments, after the second uniform interruption is performed based on the number of long edge interruptions and the unit interruption length of the long edge, the portion of the side edge to be processed that is less than the unit interruption length of the long edge between the third positions is evenly divided into each segment generated by the second uniform interruption.

[0144] In some embodiments, the segments of the side to be processed that have been interrupted point by point, interrupted in the projection-free zone, and evenly interrupted are as follows: Figure 9As shown, the light blue rectangle is the initial figure in this embodiment, and the rectangles of other colors represent the interruption lengths of each interruption segment on the side to be processed of the initial figure, and the interruption steps are performed in sequence from the point-by-point interruption area at the end points of the side to be processed (i.e., the burgundy rectangle) to the uniformly interrupted long side interruption area (i.e., the green rectangle).

[0145] Specifically, the burgundy rectangle and the red rectangle correspond to two different types of interruption parameters in point-by-point interruption respectively; the burgundy rectangle involves one of the parameters lineendside_major_length, convexside_major_length, spaceendside_major_length and concaveside_major_length, and the red rectangle involves one of the parameters lineendside_minor_length, convexside_minor_length, spaceendside_minor_length and concaveside_minor_length. The specific selection of parameters will not be repeated here.

[0146] Furthermore, the brown cuboid corresponds to the parameter forbidden_proj_length of the first unit interruption length in the forbidden projection area interruption, and the number of brown cuboids corresponds to the parameter forbidden_proj_num of the first interruption number.

[0147] It should be noted that the areas containing the yellow and green cuboids correspond to the uniformly interrupted short-side and long-side interruption zones, respectively. The yellow cuboids correspond to the parameter run_length, which specifies the unit interrupt length for the short side, and the number of yellow cuboids corresponds to the parameter run_num, which specifies the number of short-side interruptions. The green cuboids correspond to the parameter run_long_length, which specifies the unit interrupt length for the long side, and the number of green cuboids corresponds to the parameter run_long_num, which specifies the number of long-side interruptions. The specific parameters for selecting the appropriate one are not discussed here.

[0148] Figure 9 The evenly interrupted segments correspond to the situation where "the side type of the side to be processed is determined to be a long side and the spacing is greater than the first preset value". The first even interruption is performed with an interval of run_length and a number of run_num. Then, the second even interruption is performed with an interval of run_long_length and a number of run_long_num. After the second even interruption, if there is any part less than run_long_length left, this part of the length will be evenly divided into each segment generated by the second even interruption.

[0149] For another case of uniform interruption: when it is judged that "the side type is short side and the spacing is less than the first preset value", then Figure 9 The green rectangle (uniformly interrupted long side interruption area) is replaced by a yellow rectangle (uniformly interrupted long side interruption area), and run_length is reduced on the basis of not less than the second preset value, and uniform interruption is performed with an interval of the reduced run_length and a number of run_num, and finally an integer number of segments are interrupted.

[0150] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an image processing method for optical proximity correction, which includes the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method.

[0151] It should be noted that the image processing method provided in the embodiment of the present invention is a process for implementing the OPC technology. The OPC technology is Optical Proximity Correction, which aims to compensate for the deviation in the mask caused by the optical diffraction effect through a lithography effect enhancement technology.

[0152] It can be understood that the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method are an intermediate link of the OPC technology. Executing the above-mentioned graphic interruption method during the OPC process can improve the flexibility of the mask design graphic interruption and make the correction effect of the optical proximity correction better. The image processing method provided in the embodiment of the present invention has the same beneficial effect as the graphic interruption method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0153] See also Figure 6 An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer device 1, comprising a memory 11, a processor 12, and a computer program 100 stored on the memory 11, wherein the processor 12 executes the computer program 100 to implement the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method.

[0154] It can be understood that when the computer device 1 provided by the embodiment of the present invention is running, the graphic interruption method for optical proximity correction described in the above embodiment can be implemented when the processor 12 executes the computer program 100. The computer device 1 provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the same beneficial effects as the graphic interruption method provided by the above embodiment.

[0155] In some embodiments, the computer device 1 is a computer device used in the field of semiconductor technology, including but not limited to point-by-point interruption, projection-free zone interruption, projection interruption and uniform interruption on the side to be processed. No further details will be given here. In theory, the method steps involved in the technical solution of the present invention can all be achieved through the control of the computer device 1, and the relevant parameters involved can also be adjusted accordingly through the computer device 1. The relevant parameters include but are not limited to preset point-by-point interruption parameters, projection-free zone interruption parameters, projection interruption parameters and uniform interruption parameters.

[0156] In some embodiments, the processor 12 provided in the embodiments of the present invention is a general-purpose processor, which is a microprocessor or any conventional processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, which can implement or execute the various methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0157] In some embodiments, the method steps disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0158] See also Figure 7 The embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium 2 on which a computer program 100 is stored. When the computer program 100 is executed by a processor, the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method are implemented.

[0159] It can be understood that the computer-readable storage medium 2 provided in the embodiment of the present invention stores a computer program 100, and the computer program 100 can be called by a processor to execute the pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction described in the above embodiment.

[0160] It should be noted that the computer-readable storage medium 2 provided in the embodiment of the present invention has the same beneficial effects as the graphic interruption method provided in the above embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0161] Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium 2 may include at least one type of storage medium, such as a flash memory, a hard disk, a multimedia card, a card-type memory, a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic memory, a disk, an optical disk, etc.

[0162] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium 2 includes a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium that can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer executable programs, and modules.

[0163] Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium 2 provided in the embodiment of the present invention has storage space for computer programs 100 that execute any method steps in the above-mentioned graphic interruption method, and these programs can be read from or written into one or more computer program products.

[0164] In some embodiments, the computer program 100 may be compressed in a suitable form.

[0165] See also Figure 8 The embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product 3, comprising a computer program 100, which implements the steps of the above-mentioned graphic interruption method when executed by a processor.

[0166] It is understandable that the computer program product 3 provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program 100, and the computer program 100 can be called by a processor to execute the graphic interruption method for optical proximity correction described in the above embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0167] The above is a detailed introduction to the graphic interruption method, image processing method, device, medium and program product disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea.

[0168] At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pattern interruption method for optical proximity correction, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Providing an initial graphic, obtaining a side edge to be processed on the initial graphic and endpoints located on both sides of the side edge to be processed; Determine, on the side to be processed, a first position spaced apart from each corresponding endpoint by a first length, and perform point-by-point interruption between the endpoint and the first position; Determine, on the side to be processed, a second position that is on a side away from the corresponding endpoint of each first position and separated by a second length, and interrupt the projection-free zone between the first position and the second position; Obtaining an auxiliary graphic corresponding to the side to be processed, and determining, based on a projection of the auxiliary graphic onto the side to be processed, a third position on the side to be processed that is located on a side away from the corresponding first position and separated by a third length from each second position, and interrupting the projection between the second position and the third position; The same side edge to be processed is evenly interrupted between the two third positions to obtain all the interrupted segments of the side edge to be processed.

2. The graphic interruption method according to claim 1, wherein: Performing point-by-point interruption between the endpoint and the first position comprises the following steps: Obtaining preset point-by-point interruption parameters, wherein the preset point-by-point interruption parameters include a first threshold, a second threshold, a third threshold, a fourth threshold, a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, and a fourth parameter; Determining the types of the endpoints located on both sides of the side to be processed, where the types of the endpoints include convex points and concave points; When the endpoint type is a convex point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the first threshold, and the length of the shorter side of the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the second threshold, then call the first parameter to perform point-by-point interruption; otherwise, call the second parameter to perform point-by-point interruption; When the endpoint type is a concave point, if the length of the side to be processed is less than the third threshold, and the length of the shorter side among the adjacent sides of the side to be processed is greater than the fourth threshold, the third parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption; otherwise, the fourth parameter is called to perform point-by-point interruption.

3. The graphic interruption method according to claim 2, wherein: The method of interrupting the projection-free zone between the first position and the second position includes the following steps: Obtaining preset no-projection zone interruption parameters, wherein the preset no-projection zone interruption parameters include a first unit interruption length and a first interruption number; After completing the point-by-point interruption, uniform interruption with an interval of the first unit interruption length is performed between the first position and the second position according to the first number of interruptions.

4. The graphic interruption method according to claim 3, wherein: Before the projection is interrupted, preset projection interruption parameters are obtained, wherein the preset projection interruption parameters include a near projection threshold and a far projection threshold, a second unit interruption length and a second number of interruptions corresponding to the near projection threshold, and a third unit interruption length and a third number of interruptions corresponding to the far projection threshold; When the distance between the corner of the auxiliary graphic and the side to be processed is less than the near projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the second unit interruption length and the second interruption number; When the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, the projection interruption process takes effect with the third unit interruption length and the third interruption number.

5. The graphic interruption method according to claim 4, wherein: Interrupting the projection between the second position and the third position comprises the following steps: Acquire a projection area formed by a parallel projection of the auxiliary graphic mapping between the second position and the third position; Obtaining the preset projection interruption parameter and calculating the distance, and when the distance is less than the near projection threshold, performing uniform interruptions at intervals of the second unit interruption length between the second position and the third position, avoiding the projection area, according to the second interruption number; When the distance is greater than the near projection threshold and less than the far projection threshold, uniform interruption with an interval of the third unit interruption length is performed between the second position and the third position, avoiding the projection area according to the third number of interruptions.

6. The graphic interruption method according to claim 5, wherein: The process of evenly interrupting the third positions of the same side to be processed comprises the following steps: Determine the side type of the side to be processed to obtain preset uniform interruption parameters, where the side type includes a short side and a long side, and the preset uniform interruption parameters include a short side unit interruption length and a number of short side interruptions corresponding to the short side and the long side, and a long side unit interruption length and a number of long side interruptions corresponding to the long side; Determining whether the spacing between the third positions of the same side edge to be processed is less than a first preset value; if the side edge type is a short edge and the spacing is less than the first preset value, reducing the short edge unit interruption length while being no less than a second preset value, and performing even interruptions at intervals equal to the reduced short edge unit interruption length based on the number of short edge interruptions, so as to produce an integer number of segments; When the side type is a long side and the spacing is greater than the first preset value, the first uniform interruption is performed from the third position to the side away from the endpoint, with an interval of the short side unit interruption length according to the number of short side interruptions, and then the second uniform interruption is performed with an interval of the long side unit interruption length according to the number of long side interruptions.

7. The graphic interruption method according to claim 6, wherein: After performing a second uniform interruption according to the number of long side interruptions and the unit interruption length of the long side, the portion between the third positions of the side to be processed that is less than the unit interruption length of the long side is evenly divided into each segment generated by the second uniform interruption.

8. An image processing method for optical proximity correction, characterized in that: The image processing method includes the steps of the graphic interruption method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer device, characterized in that: The device comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the graphic interruption method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the graphic interruption method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the graphic interruption method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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