Mask adjustment method, apparatus and device, and computer storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a mask adjustment method and device, equipment and a computer storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: determining a mask rule region corresponding to a target auxiliary graph based on a mask design rule; and determining a to-be-adjusted auxiliary pattern which is overlapped with the mask regular region, and determining a pattern growth starting edge in the to-be-adjusted auxiliary pattern. And according to the mask rule region, performing multiple times of pattern growth on the pattern growth starting edge in the adjustment auxiliary pattern, and determining and obtaining an adjusted target mask based on a growth stop standard. The technical scheme can be flexibly applied to a scene for performing graph adjustment on the auxiliary graph with any position relation and graph structure, and detection and adjustment strategies do not need to be made again after graph adjustment every time. According to the method, the processing efficiency and the correction precision of the optical proximity effect correction process can be remarkably improved, so that the mask design is ensured to conform to the specification, and the subsequent chip production efficiency and the chip quality are further effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of chip lithography, and particularly relates to a mask adjustment method, device, equipment, and computer storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in the field of chip design and manufacturing, Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) is a key step to ensure that the patterns on the chip mask can be accurately transferred to the wafer surface during the lithography process. Specifically, reasonable Sub-Resolution Assist Features (SRAFs) can be added to the chip mask to reduce the influence of optical scattering effects, thereby improving the lithography imaging quality.

[0003] The establishment of sub-resolution assist features on the chip mask cannot be arbitrarily increased, decreased, or changed. While ensuring that the assist features can overcome the optical effects during lithography, it is also necessary to ensure that the assist features comply with the inspection rules of Mask Rule Check (MRC). At present, when performing mask rule checks and problem adjustments on the assist features, different detection and adjustment strategies are mainly set for the assist features with different graphic structures and positional relationships. Due to the large variety of assist features and the easy change of positional relationships according to design requirements, this method requires frequent and large-scale changes to the detection process, with extremely high time consumption and maintenance costs, and the accuracy of the detection process cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, how to improve the adjustment efficiency and accuracy of the assist features on the chip mask has become an important problem to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a mask adjustment method, device, equipment, and computer storage medium to significantly improve the adjustment efficiency and accuracy of the assist features on the chip mask.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a mask adjustment method, including:

[0006] Determine a mask rule region corresponding to a target assist feature on a target mask according to a preset mask design rule;

[0007] Determine assist features to be adjusted that overlap at least part of the regions in the mask rule region;

[0008] Determine at least one graphic growth starting edge corresponding to the assist features to be adjusted according to the mask rule region and the assist features to be adjusted;

[0009] Perform multiple pattern growths on at least one pattern growth start edge according to the mask rule region, determine the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted based on a preset growth stop criterion, and obtain the adjusted target mask.

[0010] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mask adjustment device, including:

[0011] A region determination unit, configured to determine a mask rule region corresponding to a target auxiliary pattern on a target mask according to a preset mask design rule;

[0012] An adjustment pattern determination unit, configured to determine an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted that overlaps at least a part of the mask rule region;

[0013] A start edge determination unit, configured to determine at least one pattern growth start edge corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted according to the mask rule region and the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted;

[0014] A mask adjustment unit, configured to perform multiple pattern growths on at least one pattern growth start edge according to the mask rule region, determine the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted based on a preset growth stop criterion, and obtain the adjusted target mask.

[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes a processor, a memory, and a program or instruction stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the program or instruction is executed by the processor, the steps of any mask adjustment method in the embodiments of the present application are implemented.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a readable storage medium, on which a program or instruction is stored. When the program or instruction is executed by a processor, the steps of any mask adjustment method in the embodiments of the present application are implemented.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product. When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device can execute the steps of any mask adjustment method in the embodiments of the present application.

[0018] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application at least bring the following beneficial effects:

[0019] A mask adjustment method provided by an embodiment of the present application can determine a mask rule area corresponding to a target auxiliary pattern on a target mask based on mask design rules. Then, auxiliary patterns that overlap with the mask rule area can be used as auxiliary patterns to be adjusted. Furthermore, the starting edge of the pattern growth in the auxiliary patterns to be adjusted can be accurately determined, providing a solid foundation for pattern growth in subsequent adjustment processes and effectively improving the adjustment effect of the overall adjustment process and the practicality of the adjusted mask. Subsequently, multiple pattern growths can be performed on the starting edge of the pattern growth in the adjusted auxiliary patterns according to the mask rule area, and the adjusted target mask can be determined based on the growth stop criterion.

[0020] The technical solution provided by the present application can be applied to actual scenarios where auxiliary patterns that do not conform to mask design rules need to be adjusted, and there is no need to re - formulate detection and adjustment strategies after each pattern adjustment. This method can significantly improve the processing efficiency and correction accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction process, thereby ensuring that the mask design complies with the specifications and further effectively improving the subsequent chip production efficiency and chip quality.

[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic flowchart of a mask adjustment method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG. 2(a) is one of the comparative schematic diagrams of a mask rule area determination process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG. 2(b) is the second of the comparative schematic diagrams of a mask rule area determination process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 It is an example schematic diagram of candidate starting edges in an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 It is an example schematic diagram of an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted having two starting edges of pattern growth provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG. 5(a) is one of the change schematic diagrams of a primary forward growth process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5(b) is the second schematic diagram of the change during the first forward growth process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 5(c) is the third schematic diagram of the change during the first forward growth process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 6(a) is the first schematic diagram of the change during the graphic growth adjustment process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6(b) is the second schematic diagram of the change during the graphic growth adjustment process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 7(a) is the first schematic diagram of the adjusted auxiliary graphic under different overlapping conditions provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7(b) is the second schematic diagram of the adjusted auxiliary graphic under different overlapping conditions provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 It is a schematic flow diagram of mask adjustment implemented based on a discriminant model for the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted and an auxiliary graphic adjustment model provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of a mask adjustment device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 10 It is a schematic hardware structure diagram of a mask adjustment device provided by yet another embodiment of the present application. Detailed Embodiments

[0038] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear and understandable, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present application, rather than to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only intended to provide a better understanding of the present application by showing examples of the present application.

[0039] It should be noted that in this article, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "including", "comprising" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "including..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0040] In the field of chip design and manufacturing, Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) is a key technology for accurately transferring the design pattern on the chip mask to the wafer surface. Among them, one of the core means is to add Sub-Resolution Assist Features (SRAFs) on the mask to suppress the imaging error problems caused by optical proximity effects during the lithography process, so as to improve the lithography accuracy. Therefore, the layout design of the assist features faces dual constraints. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the light intensity distribution during the lithography process to weaken the influence of optical proximity effects as much as possible. On the other hand, it is also necessary to meet the strict requirements of process rules such as Mask Rule Check (MRC) for the pattern pitch, positional relationship, etc.

[0041] Currently, most of the methods for performing mask rule checks and pattern adjustments on assist features are to separately establish corresponding detection and adjustment strategies for assist features with different pattern structures and positional relationships.

[0042] For example, when performing pattern adjustments on the assist features of Manhattan rectangles and tilted rectangles on the chip mask, it is necessary to separately establish a detection and adjustment strategy for this situation. When the tilt angle of the tilted rectangle changes or the pattern structure of a certain assist feature changes, the originally formulated detection and adjustment strategy is no longer applicable, and significant readjustments or even complete re-settings are required. This method requires repeated adjustments or even re-design of the detection and adjustment processes when facing different design requirements.

[0043] In addition, the positional distribution of auxiliary patterns with different or the same graphic structures is also diverse. If each case is enumerated and detection and adjustment strategies are set separately for different cases, the time cost incurred and the maintenance cost for continuous improvement during subsequent adjustment processes will seriously affect the processing efficiency of overall optical proximity effect correction, thereby reducing the production efficiency of the overall chip production process. Moreover, due to the inability to guarantee the accuracy of the detection process, the quality and yield of the produced chips are also affected to a certain extent.

[0044] Based on the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a mask adjustment method, device, equipment, and computer storage medium, which can determine a mask rule area corresponding to a target auxiliary pattern on a target mask based on mask design rules.

[0045] Then, determine the auxiliary patterns to be adjusted of the auxiliary patterns that overlap with the mask rule area, and then accurately determine the graphic growth starting edge in the auxiliary patterns to be adjusted. The determined graphic growth starting edge can provide a solid foundation for graphic growth during subsequent adjustment processes, effectively improving the adjustment effect of the overall adjustment process and the practicality of the adjusted mask. Finally, multiple graphic growth operations can be performed on the graphic growth starting edge in the adjusted auxiliary patterns according to the mask rule area, and the adjusted target mask can be determined based on the growth stop criterion.

[0046] The above technical solution can be flexibly applied to mask rule checks for auxiliary patterns with various positional relationships or various structural types, and can also be applied to the actual scenario of adjusting auxiliary patterns that do not conform to mask design rules. By performing graphic adjustment on the auxiliary patterns on the chip mask through the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the processing efficiency and correction accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction process of the chip mask can be significantly improved, fully ensuring that the adjusted chip mask conforms to the mask design rules, thereby significantly improving the subsequent chip production efficiency, as well as the chip quality and yield.

[0047] Among them, regarding the execution entity adopted in the embodiments of the present application, specifically, it can be a terminal device used for mask rule checks for auxiliary patterns on a targeted chip mask, such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, etc., or it can be a remote device, such as a server. In addition, the execution entity adopted in the embodiments of the present application can also be an execution entity in the form of software, such as a client installed in a terminal device, a software program, etc. The execution entity applying the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application is not strictly limited here and can be flexibly selected according to the application scenario and actual requirements.

[0048] In addition, it should be noted that in this application, the specific application scenarios corresponding to the mask adjustment method, device, equipment, and computer storage medium provided in the embodiments of this application are not strictly limited and can be determined according to actual needs.

[0049] For example, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to the application scenario of performing mask design rule checking and graphic adjustment on auxiliary graphics with a Manhattan rectangle structure and an inclined rectangle structure for the graphic structure on a chip mask. Among them, a Manhattan rectangle refers to a rectangle structure in which the four sides of the auxiliary graphic are parallel to the horizontal or vertical axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system with the center point of the chip mask as the origin, and an inclined rectangle refers to a rectangle structure in which the four sides of the auxiliary graphic are not parallel to either the horizontal or vertical axis.

[0050] In this application scenario, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application can use the auxiliary graphic of the Manhattan rectangle or the auxiliary graphic of the inclined rectangle as the target auxiliary graphic and determine the corresponding mask rule area. When it is determined that there is an area overlap in the mask rule area of another auxiliary graphic, it can be determined that this auxiliary graphic is the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, and at least one graphic growth starting side corresponding thereto can be determined. By performing multiple graphic growths on the graphic growth starting side and determining the adjusted auxiliary graphic based on the growth stop criterion, a chip mask that fully conforms to the mask design rules can be obtained.

[0051] Through the above process, the problem of non-compliance with the design rule check between the auxiliary graphic of the Manhattan rectangle and the auxiliary graphic of the inclined rectangle can be solved efficiently and accurately. Moreover, regardless of their positional relationship or changing the graphic structure of any one of the auxiliary graphics, this method still applies, and it has strong versatility and flexibility. Through this technical solution, the adjustment rate and accuracy of the auxiliary graphics on the chip mask can be significantly improved, thereby enhancing the processing efficiency of the optical proximity effect correction process and also increasing the chip production rate to a certain extent.

[0052] It should be noted that the application scenarios described in the embodiments of this application above are for more clearly explaining the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Those of ordinary skill in the art know that with the emergence of new application scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems. The mask adjustment method provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various application scenarios that require graphic adjustment of auxiliary graphics with different graphic structures and different positional relationships in the chip mask image.

[0053] Figure 1 It is a schematic flowchart of a mask adjustment method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] As Figure 1As shown in , the mask adjustment method provided by an embodiment of the present application includes steps S101 to S104.

[0055] S101: According to the preset mask design rules, determine the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern on the target mask.

[0056] S102: Determine the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted that overlaps at least part of the mask rule area.

[0057] S103: According to the mask rule area and the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, determine at least one graphic growth starting edge corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted.

[0058] S104: According to the mask rule area, perform multiple graphic growths on at least one graphic growth starting edge, and determine the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted based on the preset growth stop criterion, so as to obtain the adjusted target mask.

[0059] In step S101, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can determine the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern on the target mask based on the mask design rules preset for the target mask.

[0060] Among them, the specific rule content corresponding to the mask design rules is not strictly limited in the present application. In some embodiments, it can be, for example, the minimum line width constraint for the auxiliary pattern, the shortest distance between the auxiliary patterns, the shortest distance between the auxiliary pattern and the mask pattern, etc., and can be flexibly set according to the specific mask type and actual requirements.

[0061] Similarly, the specific graphic category and structure corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern are not specifically limited in the present application. For example, a rectangular structure, a T-shaped structure, an L-shaped structure, an ellipse or a semi-circular structure, etc. Among them, the rectangular structure can be further divided into a Manhattan rectangle and an inclined rectangle according to the inclination of the rectangle.

[0062] Among them, the Manhattan rectangle specifically refers to a rectangular structure in which the four sides of the auxiliary pattern of the rectangle are parallel to the horizontal or vertical axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system with the center point of the chip mask as the origin, while the inclined rectangle refers to a rectangular structure in which the four sides of the auxiliary pattern of the rectangle are not parallel to the horizontal or vertical axis.

[0063] It should be noted that when determining the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted in the pair of auxiliary patterns through the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the selection of the target auxiliary pattern can be flexibly selected and set according to actual needs and application scenarios.

[0064] For example, in some embodiments, assuming that a mask design rule check is performed on the positional relationship and distance between a certain Manhattan rectangle and a certain inclined rectangle on a target mask, the Manhattan rectangle can be selected as the target auxiliary pattern according to actual needs, or the inclined rectangle can be selected as the target auxiliary pattern. Then, it is possible to determine whether another auxiliary pattern is an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted according to the mask rule region corresponding to the determined target auxiliary pattern.

[0065] The mask rule region can be used to represent the region where no other auxiliary patterns or mask patterns are allowed to exist around the target auxiliary pattern. The specific region shape corresponding thereto is not strictly limited in this application and can be flexibly set according to the application scenario and actual needs.

[0066] It should be specifically noted that when the target auxiliary pattern is a rectangular structure and the mask rule region corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern is also a rectangular structure, in the subsequent process of determining the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted based on the mask rule region, redundant regions may appear in the four vertex directions of the target auxiliary pattern. When other auxiliary patterns fall into this part of the region, they do not actually overlap with the true mask rule region of the target auxiliary pattern, but due to the mask rule region being a rectangular structure, the auxiliary patterns falling into this part of the region are misjudged as auxiliary patterns to be adjusted.

[0067] Considering the above problems, in an embodiment provided in this application, when the target auxiliary pattern is a rectangular structure and the mask design rule preset for the target auxiliary pattern includes the shortest distance between the graphic boundary of the target auxiliary pattern and other patterns, the four sides of the target auxiliary pattern with a rectangular structure can be extended outward by the length of the shortest distance according to the shortest distance to determine the mask rule sides corresponding to the four sides.

[0068] Then, for each vertex of the target auxiliary pattern, a mask rule circular region corresponding to the vertex is determined with the vertex as the center and the above shortest distance as the radius. Immediately afterwards, the quarter-sector region divided after cutting the extended line parts of the two adjacent sides forming the vertex with the mask rule circular region is used as the mask rule sector region corresponding to the vertex.

[0069] Finally, for each vertex, the tangent of the midpoint of the arc of the mask rule sector region corresponding to the vertex is determined as the tangent corresponding to the vertex. The octagon region formed by the mask rule sides corresponding to the four sides of the target auxiliary pattern and the tangents corresponding to the four vertices is used as the mask rule region corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern with a rectangular structure.

[0070] To facilitate a more vivid understanding of the construction process of the above-mentioned mask rule region, the following will take the schematic diagram of the mask rule region with a rectangular structure shown in Fig. 2(a) and the schematic diagram of the mask rule region with an octagonal structure shown in Fig. 2(b) as examples for further illustration and introduction.

[0071] Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) are comparative schematic diagrams of a process for determining a mask rule region provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0072] Among them, 201 in Fig. 2(a) is the mask rule region with a rectangular structure, 202 is the target auxiliary pattern, and 203 in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) is the shortest distance.

[0073] In Fig. 2(b), 204 is the auxiliary pattern, 204 is the left side of the target auxiliary pattern, 205 is the upper side of the target auxiliary pattern, 206 is the right side of the target auxiliary pattern, 207 is the lower side of the target auxiliary pattern, 208 is the tangent line segment of the arc midpoint of the mask rule sector region corresponding to the upper left corner vertex of the target auxiliary pattern, 209 is the mask rule edge corresponding to the upper side of the target auxiliary pattern, 210 is the tangent line segment of the arc midpoint of the mask rule sector region corresponding to the upper right corner vertex of the target auxiliary pattern, 211 is the mask rule edge corresponding to the right side of the target auxiliary pattern, 212 is the tangent line segment of the arc midpoint of the mask rule sector region corresponding to the lower right corner vertex of the target auxiliary pattern, 213 is the mask rule edge corresponding to the lower side of the target auxiliary pattern, 214 is the tangent line segment of the arc midpoint of the mask rule sector region corresponding to the lower left corner vertex of the target auxiliary pattern, and 215 is the mask rule edge corresponding to the left side of the target auxiliary pattern.

[0074] Fig. 2(a) is a schematic diagram of a mask rule region with a rectangular structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. It can be seen from Fig. 2(a) that the actual rule region at the vertex of the target auxiliary pattern 202 with a rectangular structure determined according to the shortest distance 203 should be a quarter-sector region, but due to the right-angle boundary of the mask rule region 201 with a rectangular structure, there are redundant regions at the vertex.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 2(a), the auxiliary pattern 204 exactly overlaps with the mask rule region 201 with a rectangular structure, but actually does not overlap with the real rule region of a quarter-sector. If the subsequent determination of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted is based on the mask rule region 201 with a rectangular structure shown in Fig. 2(a), it will cause the auxiliary pattern 204 that originally conforms to the mask design rule to be recognized as not conforming to the mask design rule, and thus be adjusted graphically.

[0076] This kind of problem will seriously affect the pattern adjustment rate of the target mask, and the auxiliary patterns that originally conform to the mask design rules are adjusted, which may also conflict with the mask rule areas of other auxiliary patterns or mask patterns, resulting in a series of pattern adjustments. In serious cases, it may affect the chip design accuracy and normal functions, resulting in the chip quality and yield being affected.

[0077] FIG. 2(b) is a schematic diagram of a mask rule area of an octagonal structure provided by an embodiment of the present application. It can be seen from FIG. 2(b) that, compared with that shown in FIG. 2(a), for the extended line parts of the two adjacent sides (205 and 206, 206 and 207, 207 and 204, 204 and 205) of each vertex of the target auxiliary pattern in FIG. 2(b), the tangents (210, 212, 214, and 208) at the arc midpoints of the quarter-sector areas cut out by the mask rule circular areas corresponding to each vertex, and the mask rule sides (209, 211, 213, and 215) corresponding to the four sides form a mask rule area of an octagonal structure, which greatly reduces the extra area of the mask rule area of the rectangular structure 201 shown in FIG. 2(a) that is more than the actual mask rule area.

[0078] Through the mask rule area shown in FIG. 2(b), a more accurate division of the mask rule area can be successfully achieved, reducing the occurrence of misjudgment problems such as those caused by FIG. 2(a). It effectively improves the determination accuracy and efficiency of the subsequent auxiliary patterns to be adjusted, and further significantly improves the processing efficiency and accuracy of the overall optical proximity effect correction process.

[0079] The above content is all introduced for a single pair of auxiliary patterns. In the actual application of the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the corresponding mask rule areas can be determined for all the added auxiliary patterns in the target mask, and then each pair of auxiliary patterns that do not meet the mask design rules can be determined in the subsequent process. The selection of the target auxiliary pattern and the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted can be flexibly selected according to actual needs and application scenarios.

[0080] In step S102, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can accurately determine the auxiliary patterns to be adjusted that overlap at least partially with the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern.

[0081] After determining the target auxiliary pattern and the corresponding mask rule area in step S101, other auxiliary patterns in the mask rule area are identified, so as to accurately determine the auxiliary patterns to be adjusted corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern.

[0082] When there are multiple auxiliary graphics to be adjusted for a single target auxiliary graphic, the subsequent graphic adjustments can be sequentially performed on each auxiliary graphic to be adjusted in a preset order or a random order, so as to ensure that each graphic adjustment process is accurate, error-free, and truly effective.

[0083] In an embodiment provided by the present application, the determination process of the above-mentioned auxiliary graphic to be adjusted can be implemented through a preset discrimination model for the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted.

[0084] Specifically, in the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, the mask rule region corresponding to the target auxiliary graphic and the graphic region corresponding to each auxiliary graphic except the target auxiliary graphic can be used as input parameters, and through the above-mentioned discrimination model for the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, the auxiliary graphic with at least a partially overlapping region with the mask rule region corresponding to the target auxiliary graphic can be accurately identified as the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted corresponding to the target auxiliary graphic.

[0085] Among them, the specific model category corresponding to the discrimination model for the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted is not strictly limited in the present application. In some embodiments, it can be, for example, a bounding box detection model (Bounding Box), a semantic segmentation network (SemanticSegmentation Network), etc., and can be flexibly adjusted according to the application scenario and actual requirements.

[0086] In step S103, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can determine at least one graphic growth starting edge from the auxiliary graphics to be adjusted determined through step S102 according to the mask rule region corresponding to the target auxiliary graphic determined through step S101. Among them, the graphic growth starting edge can be understood as the starting point for the re-growth of the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted in the subsequent graphic adjustment process.

[0087] Regarding the specific determination process of the graphic growth starting edge, in an embodiment provided by the present application, according to the mask graphic corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted in the target mask, the position relationship information of the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted relative to the mask graphic can be determined. Then, according to the position relationship information of the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted relative to the mask graphic, at least one candidate starting edge can be determined from the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted.

[0088] It should be noted that since both the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted and the target auxiliary graphic are basically determined based on the corresponding reference object at the initial position of the target mask. In order to better reduce the error influence of the optical proximity effect on the lithography of the mask graphic, for the auxiliary graphic, the mask graphic in the mask layout can be selected as the reference object for position selection and addition. In this case, based on the position relationship information of the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted relative to the mask graphic, the candidate starting edge in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted can be accurately determined.

[0089] In addition, the reference object of the auxiliary pattern can also be other types of objects, patterns, or specific process parameters. In the embodiments of the present application, the specific method for determining the candidate starting edge in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the corresponding reference object of the auxiliary pattern are not strictly limited. The determination of the candidate starting edge can be flexibly set according to actual requirements and application scenarios. For the sake of understanding, here, taking the reference object of the auxiliary pattern as the mask pattern as an example, the specific process of determining the candidate starting edge is described in detail.

[0090] The above position relationship information of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted relative to the mask pattern can be specifically understood as the included angle formed by the line segment connecting the center points of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the mask pattern and the horizontal axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system with the center point of the mask pattern as the origin.

[0091] For the sake of understanding, below, taking the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted as a rectangular structure as an example, how to determine the above-mentioned candidate starting edge is introduced in detail.

[0092] In an embodiment provided by the present application, when the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted is a rectangular structure, according to the position relationship information of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted relative to the mask pattern, that is, the included angle formed by the line segment connecting the center points of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the mask pattern and the horizontal axis of the mask pattern, the two sides of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted that are orthogonal to the line segment connecting the center points of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the mask pattern can be used as the candidate starting edges. The orthogonal relationship is used to represent that the two sides are perpendicular to each other.

[0093] The specific process of determining the candidate starting edge can be referred to Figure 3 as shown in

[0094] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an example of the candidate starting edge in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Among them, 301 is the mask pattern, 302 is the mask regular area, 303 is the target auxiliary pattern, 304 is the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, 305 is the line segment connecting the center point A of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the center point B of the mask pattern, 306 is the horizontal axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system of the mask pattern with the center point B as the origin, and 307 is the included angle formed between the line segment connecting the center point A of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the center point B of the mask pattern and the horizontal axis of the mask pattern.

[0096] Such as Figure 3As shown in the figure, the target auxiliary pattern 303 is a Manhattan rectangle structure, and the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 is an inclined rectangle structure. The angle 307 formed by the line segment 305 connecting the center point A of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 and the center point B of its corresponding mask pattern 301 and the horizontal axis 306 of the mask pattern 301 can specifically be 45 degrees, and the sides orthogonal to the line segment 305 are side a and side b in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304. In this case, sides a and b in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 similar to Figure 3 can be used as the candidate starting sides.

[0097] Through the above process, the candidate starting sides with the growth direction of the endpoints towards the mask regular area 302 in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 which is a rectangle structure can be accurately determined. This provides a strong basis for the subsequent determination process of the starting side of the pattern growth, thereby improving the accuracy and effectiveness of the subsequent adjustment process, and to a certain extent improving the production efficiency and production quality in the chip production process.

[0098] After determining at least one candidate starting side, the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application can determine whether each candidate starting side overlaps with the mask regular area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern, and use the candidate starting sides that do not overlap with the mask regular area as the starting sides of the above pattern growth.

[0099] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, in this example, sides a and b of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 are candidate starting sides, but side a obviously overlaps with the mask regular area 302 corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern 303, while side b is outside the mask regular area 302. Therefore, in this case, side b in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304 similar to Figure 3 can be used as the starting side of the pattern growth corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted 304.

[0100] In addition, the above Figure 3 is only for example for easy understanding, and does not strictly limit the determination process and results of the starting side of the pattern growth and the candidate starting sides mentioned in the present application. Of course, there may be other situations, such as shown in the following Figure 4 figure.

[0101] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an example in which there are two starting sides of the pattern growth in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] Among them, 401 is a mask pattern, 402 is a mask rule area, 403 is a target auxiliary pattern, 404 is an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, 405 is a line segment connecting the center point A of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the center point B of the mask pattern, 406 is the horizontal axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system of the mask pattern with the center point B as the origin, and 407 is the angle formed between the line segment connecting the center point A of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the center point B of the mask pattern and the horizontal axis of the mask pattern.

[0103] As Figure 4 shown in Figure 3 the same, the target auxiliary pattern 403 is a Manhattan rectangle structure, and the auxiliary pattern 404 to be adjusted is an inclined rectangle structure. Although the specific shapes corresponding to each pattern have not changed compared to Figure 3 shown in

[0104] In this case, side a and side b of the auxiliary pattern 404 to be adjusted are still determined as the candidate starting sides. In addition, since neither side a nor side b overlaps with the mask rule area 402 corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern 403. Therefore, sides a and b in the auxiliary pattern 404 to be adjusted similar to Figure 4 shown can both be used as the graphic growth starting sides corresponding to the auxiliary pattern 404 to be adjusted, and multiple image growths are performed respectively for side a and side b during the subsequent graphic growth process.

[0105] The above examples are only for understanding. In addition to the above content, the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted can also be other patterns, which can be flexibly set according to the application scenario and actual requirements. Through the above process, the graphic growth starting sides in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted can be determined efficiently and accurately, providing an accurate and reliable growth basis for the subsequent graphic growth process, improving the adjustment efficiency and accuracy of the subsequent graphic adjustment process. Effectively improving the processing efficiency and correction accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction for the target mask, and providing a strong safety guarantee for the subsequent chip production quality.

[0106] In step S104, the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can perform multiple graphic growths on at least one graphic growth starting side in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted determined through the above step S103 based on the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern. Through multiple graphic growths, an auxiliary pattern that does not overlap with the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern and maximally meets the design accuracy can be obtained.

[0107] Among them, during the graphic growth process, the growth process can be accurately terminated according to the preset growth stop criterion, so as to determine the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, and finally obtain the adjusted target mask.

[0108] In an embodiment provided by the present application, for each starting edge of graphic growth in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, the corresponding ending edge of graphic growth in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted can be determined. For example, for Figure 3 or Figure 4 edge a in, the ending edge of graphic growth is edge b. And the shortest distance between the starting edge of graphic growth and the ending edge of graphic growth can be used as the length information corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, such as Figure 3 or Figure 4 the length of the long edge adjacent to edge a.

[0109] Then, according to the length information corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, starting from the starting edge of graphic growth, graphic growth is carried out towards the ending edge of graphic growth, so as to determine the graphic after the initial growth. Taking Figure 3 or Figure 4 as an example, the growth process can be understood as extending line segments from both ends of the starting edge of graphic growth a along the adjacent long edges towards the ending edge b.

[0110] Immediately afterwards, for the graphic after the initial growth, at least one graphic growth adjustment can be carried out on the graphic after the initial growth according to the mask rule area.

[0111] Among them, the graphic growth adjustment process can specifically include a forward growth similar to the initial growth, that is, graphic growth is carried out along the direction of the ending edge of graphic growth. In addition, it can also include growing back the graphic after the previous growth in the direction away from the ending edge of graphic growth.

[0112] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the specific size and change rule of the growth length in the above initial growth and at least one graphic growth adjustment process are not strictly limited. In one embodiment, the growth and adjustment process can specifically adopt, for example, the binary search method, that is, the growth length corresponding to each growth can be half of the length of the previous growth or rollback process. In other embodiments, other growth methods can also be adopted, such as interpolation search, ternary search, etc., which can be flexibly selected and set according to actual needs and mask types.

[0113] Regarding the specific processes of the above initial forward growth and at least one graphic growth adjustment, for the convenience of understanding, the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted in the form of a rectangular structure is still used as an example to carry out a detailed introduction and explanation.

[0114] In an embodiment provided by the present application, when the auxiliary graph to be adjusted is a rectangular structure, the growth termination edge corresponding to each graph growth start edge is the parallel edge corresponding to the graph growth start edge in the auxiliary graph to be adjusted. The length information is specifically the length of the non-start edge corresponding to the non-growth start edge orthogonal to the graph growth start edge in the auxiliary graph to be adjusted.

[0115] In this case, when performing the initial growth for each graph growth start edge, according to the non-start edge length, the initial growth length corresponding to the graph growth start edge can be determined. The size of the initial growth length can be determined according to the selected growth method. When using the binary search method for growth and adjustment (i.e., each growth is half the length of the previous growth or rollback process), the initial growth length can be half the length of the non-start edge.

[0116] Then, based on the initial growth length, with the two endpoints of the graph growth start edge as the starting points, extend the line segments along the non-growth start edge to the two endpoints of the growth termination edge (i.e., the parallel edge) corresponding to the graph growth start edge, thereby determining the graph after the initial growth. The process schematic of the initial growth process can refer to that shown in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c).

[0117] FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) are schematic diagrams of the changes in an initial forward growth process provided by an embodiment of the present application. 501 is the mask rule area, 502 is the target auxiliary graph, 503 is the auxiliary graph to be adjusted, 504 is the graph growth start edge, and 505 is the graph after the initial growth.

[0118] As in the above embodiment Figure 3 and Figure 4 similarly, in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c), the target auxiliary graph 502 is a Manhattan rectangular structure, and the auxiliary graph to be adjusted 503 is an inclined rectangular structure.

[0119] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic diagram of the overlapping part between the auxiliary graph 503 to be adjusted and the mask rule area 501 corresponding to the target auxiliary graph 502 before the initial forward growth. Based on the above steps, it can be determined that edge a of the auxiliary graph 503 to be adjusted in FIG. 5(a) is the only graph growth start edge 504. Based on edge a for the initial forward growth, the subsequent FIGS. 5(b) and 5(c) can be obtained.

[0120] FIG. 5(b) is a schematic diagram at the beginning of the initial forward growth. Only the graph growth start edge 504, i.e., edge a, of the entire auxiliary graph 503 to be adjusted is retained. Assuming the growth method is the binary search method mentioned above, the initial growth length is specifically half of the distance L from a1 to b1 or from a2 to b2 in FIG. 5(b).

[0121] Figure 5(c) shows the post-initial-growth pattern 505 after the completion of the first forward growth. As shown in Figure 5(c), taking the two endpoints a1 and a2 of the growth starting edge 504 of the pattern in Figure 5(b) as the starting points, the line segments are extended along the directions from a1 to b1 and from a2 to b2, and the extension length is half of the distance L, finally obtaining the post-initial-growth pattern 505 shown in Figure 5(c).

[0122] Figures 5(a) to 5(c) The shown first growth process is only an illustrative example for easy understanding. In this application, the specific details of the first growth process are not limited, nor are the specific graphic structures corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern and the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, which can be flexibly adjusted according to the application scenario and actual requirements.

[0123] Through the processing procedures of the above embodiments, the first growth process for each graphic growth starting edge can be efficiently and accurately achieved, providing a solid foundation for the subsequent graphic growth adjustment process, and to a certain extent improving the processing efficiency of the overall graphic adjustment process and the accuracy and practicality of the adjusted pattern.

[0124] Regarding the above graphic growth adjustment process for the post-initial-growth pattern. In an embodiment provided by this application, for each graphic growth adjustment, according to the displacement magnitude of the parallel edge corresponding to the graphic growth starting edge in the pattern after the previous adjustment during the previous adjustment, the displacement corresponding to the parallel edge corresponding to the graphic growth starting edge of this adjustment is determined.

[0125] Among them, the specific magnitude of this adjustment displacement can be determined based on the binary search method, that is, taking half of the displacement of the previous adjustment as the magnitude of this adjustment displacement.

[0126] Then, it is judged whether at least part of the pattern after the previous adjustment overlaps with at least part of the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern.

[0127] If it is determined that at least part of the pattern after the previous adjustment overlaps with at least part of the mask rule area, then according to the displacement corresponding to this adjustment, the parallel edge corresponding to the graphic growth starting edge in the pattern after the previous adjustment is reversely retracted towards the direction of the graphic growth starting edge.

[0128] If there is no overlapping area between the pattern after the previous adjustment and the mask rule area, then according to the displacement corresponding to this adjustment, the parallel edge corresponding to the graphic growth starting edge in the pattern after the previous adjustment is forward-grown towards the direction of the parallel edge of the graphic growth starting edge in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted.

[0129] To facilitate the understanding of the above-mentioned pattern growth adjustment process, the pattern after the initial growth shown in FIG. 5(c) in the above embodiment is taken as an example, and a schematic diagram of the exemplary changes in a pattern growth adjustment process is used for further introduction and illustration, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b).

[0130] FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams of the changes in a pattern growth adjustment process provided by an embodiment of the present application. 601 is a mask rule area, 602 is a target auxiliary pattern, 603 is the pattern after the first pattern growth adjustment, and 604 is the pattern after the second pattern growth adjustment.

[0131] FIG. 6(a) is a schematic diagram of the first pattern growth adjustment for the pattern 505 after the initial growth shown in FIG. 5(c). It can be seen from FIG. 5(c) that there is no overlapping area between the pattern 505 after the initial growth and the mask rule area 601, so a forward growth can be performed on the pattern 505 after the initial growth shown in FIG. 5(c).

[0132] Assuming that the adjustment process is based on the binary search method mentioned above, then when performing the first pattern growth adjustment, the half length of the distance from a1 to b1' or a2 to b2' in FIG. 6(a) is used as the displacement size corresponding to the parallel sides b1'b2' of the pattern growth starting sides a1a2 in the pattern after the initial growth. The rectangle formed by a1, b1", b2", and a2 in FIG. 6(a) is the adjusted pattern 603 corresponding to the first pattern growth adjustment.

[0133] It can be seen that there is an overlap between the pattern 603 after the first pattern growth adjustment in FIG. 6(a) and a part of the mask rule area 601, so the next adjustment needs to be a reverse backtracking, as shown in FIG. 6(b). FIG. 6(b) is a schematic diagram of the second pattern growth adjustment for the pattern 603 after the first pattern growth adjustment shown in FIG. 6(a).

[0134] Since there is an overlap between the pattern 603 after the first pattern growth adjustment in FIG. 6(a) and a part of the mask rule area 601, it is necessary to reverse backtrack the parallel sides b1"b2" corresponding to the pattern growth starting sides a1a2 in the pattern 603 after the first pattern growth adjustment. The reverse backtracking displacement size can be determined based on binary search as the half length of the distance from b1' to b1" or b2' to b2" during the first pattern growth adjustment process. The rectangle formed by a1, b1''', b2''', and a2 in FIG. 6(b) is the adjusted pattern 604 corresponding to the second pattern growth adjustment.

[0135] It can be seen that even after the second graphic growth adjustment shown in Fig. 6(a), the adjusted graphic 604 still overlaps with some areas in the mask regular area 601. Therefore, during the subsequent third adjustment, a reverse retraction can be performed on b1”’b2”’ in Fig. 6(b), and the size of the retraction displacement can be half of the displacement corresponding to the second graphic growth adjustment.

[0136] And so on, multiple graphic growth adjustments are performed on the graphic after the initial growth. Each adjustment is based on the graphic after the previous adjustment or growth, and a choice is made whether to continue forward growth or reverse retraction. Based on the above-mentioned multiple graphic growth adjustment processes, the adjusted graphic can gradually approach the boundary of the mask regular area, and there is no overlap problem.

[0137] This adjustment method has extremely high flexibility and adaptability. In addition to the above-mentioned target auxiliary graphics and auxiliary graphics to be adjusted with a rectangular structure, it can also be applied to auxiliary graphics with other graphic structures. Moreover, the adjustment efficiency and accuracy are also significantly improved, effectively improving the processing efficiency and correction effect of the optical proximity effect correction process, and further improving the chip production quality and chip yield.

[0138] Furthermore, after each graphic growth adjustment is completed, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can determine whether to terminate the adjustment according to a preset growth stop criterion, so as to determine the finally adjusted auxiliary graphic, and then obtain the adjusted target mask.

[0139] Regarding the specific judgment process for terminating the growth adjustment. In an embodiment provided by the present application, for each graphic growth adjustment, when it is determined that the graphic after this adjustment does not overlap with the mask regular area, the shortest distance between the parallel side corresponding to the graphic growth starting side in the graphic after this adjustment and the parallel side corresponding to the graphic growth starting side in the graphic after the previous adjustment can be determined.

[0140] Then, the size relationship between the above-mentioned shortest distance and a preset distance threshold is judged.

[0141] When it is determined that the shortest distance is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, it can be determined that the graphic accuracy corresponding to the graphic after this adjustment meets the preset standard, the growth adjustment process terminates, this graphic growth adjustment is the last one, and the adjusted auxiliary graphic corresponding to the entire adjustment process is obtained.

[0142] If it is determined that the shortest distance is greater than the preset distance threshold, it can be determined that although the graphic after this adjustment does not overlap with the mask regular area, the accuracy does not meet the preset standard. The graphic after this adjustment still needs to be subjected to the next forward growth. When the graphic after the next adjustment still does not overlap with the mask regular area, it is judged whether the graphic after the next adjustment meets the preset standard according to the preset distance threshold, and so on.

[0143] It should be noted that the specific value of the above-mentioned preset distance threshold is not strictly limited in this application and can be flexibly limited according to the application scenario and actual requirements. Based on the above process of judging the growth termination according to the preset distance threshold, the adjustment accuracy of the graphic growth adjustment process can be accurately controlled. The processing accuracy of the overall mask graphic adjustment process is effectively improved, and then the correction effect of the optical proximity effect correction process is significantly enhanced, providing a strong quality guarantee for the subsequent chip manufacturing process.

[0144] To better understand the specific manifestation form of the adjusted auxiliary graphic finally obtained through the above multiple steps and corresponding embodiments, taking the Figure 3 and Figure 4 auxiliary graphics to be adjusted with different overlapping situations shown as examples, the adjusted auxiliary graphic finally obtained is illustrated, as specifically shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b).

[0145] FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are schematic diagrams of an adjusted auxiliary graphic provided by an embodiment of the present application in different overlapping situations. 701 is the mask regular area, 702 is the target auxiliary graphic, 703 is the adjusted auxiliary graphic in FIG. 7(a), and 704 is the adjusted auxiliary graphic in FIG. 7(b).

[0146] FIG. 7(a) is a Figure 3 schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the adjusted auxiliary graphic 703 and the mask regular area 701. The rectangle shown by the dashed line in FIG. 7(a) is the Figure 3 auxiliary graphic 304 to be adjusted before adjustment. It can be seen that Figure 3 the part where side a is located in the

[0147] has been adjusted and disappeared, and finally a rectangle including side a' and side b is obtained as the adjusted auxiliary graphic 703. Figure 4 FIG. 7(b) is a Figure 4 schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the adjusted auxiliary graphic 704 and the mask regular area 701. It can be seen that after the above graphic growth and adjustment processes are respectively performed on the two graphic growth starting sides a and b in the Figure 4 two adjusted auxiliary graphics 704 shown in FIG. 7(b) are obtained, and the part of the original overlapping area in the middle has been adjusted and disappeared. Finally, a rectangle including side b' and side a and a rectangle including side b and side a' are obtained as the

[0148] The above content is the specific introduction of the mask adjustment method provided by the embodiments of the present application. Similar to step S102, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the adjustment process for the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted can be implemented by a preset auxiliary pattern adjustment model. By working jointly with the auxiliary pattern discrimination model mentioned in step S102, the above mask adjustment method can be successfully implemented. The specific process can be referred to Figure 8 as shown.

[0149] Figure 8 FIG. is a schematic flow chart of mask adjustment implemented based on an auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted and an auxiliary pattern adjustment model provided by an embodiment of the present application, specifically including steps 801 to 806.

[0150] S801: Determine the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern.

[0151] In step S801, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can accurately determine the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern and can effectively reduce the division of invalid areas. Specifically, for example, in the above embodiment, for a target auxiliary pattern with a rectangular structure, an octagonal area mask rule area is determined.

[0152] S802: Determine the auxiliary model to be adjusted corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern through the auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted.

[0153] In step S802, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can accurately determine the auxiliary model to be adjusted corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern through a preset auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted.

[0154] Moreover, during the subsequent growth adjustment process, it can also be accurately determined through the auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted whether there is an overlapping area between the pattern after each adjustment and the mask rule area.

[0155] S803: Adjust the growth of the pattern of the auxiliary model to be adjusted through the auxiliary pattern adjustment model.

[0156] In step S803, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can perform initial pattern growth and subsequent multiple rounds of pattern growth adjustment on the auxiliary model to be adjusted through a preset auxiliary pattern adjustment model. The specific process and details are basically the same as the corresponding content in the above steps, and will not be elaborated here too much.

[0157] S804: For the pattern after each adjustment, determine whether it meets the standard accuracy based on a preset distance threshold through the auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted.

[0158] In step S804, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can use the auxiliary pattern discrimination model to be adjusted to determine whether the pattern after each adjustment meets the standard accuracy corresponding to the preset distance threshold, and further determine whether the next adjustment is required.

[0159] S805: When it is determined that the pattern after this adjustment does not meet the standard accuracy, perform the next round of adjustment through the auxiliary pattern adjustment model.

[0160] S806: If it is determined that there is an overlapping area between the pattern after the previous adjustment and the mask rule area, then perform a reverse rollback for this adjustment.

[0161] S807: If it is determined that there is no overlapping area between the pattern after the previous adjustment and the mask rule area, then perform a forward growth for this adjustment.

[0162] In steps S805, S806, and S807, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can use the auxiliary pattern adjustment model to perform the next round of adjustment on the adjusted pattern that does not meet the standard accuracy after the previous adjustment.

[0163] Specifically, if there is an overlapping area between the pattern after the previous adjustment and the mask rule area, then perform a reverse rollback for this adjustment; if there is no overlapping area between the pattern after the previous adjustment and the mask rule area, then perform a forward growth for this adjustment. Similarly, the specific operation process and details are basically the same as the corresponding content in the above steps, and will not be elaborated here.

[0164] S808: When it is determined that the pattern after this adjustment meets the standard accuracy, use the pattern after this adjustment as the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted.

[0165] In step S808, when it is determined that the pattern after this adjustment meets the standard accuracy corresponding to the preset distance threshold, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application uses the pattern after this adjustment as the adjusted auxiliary pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, so as to obtain the target mask with the adjustment of the auxiliary pattern completed.

[0166] The above is the specific implementation manner of the mask adjustment method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application can be flexibly applied to mask rule checking for various auxiliary patterns with various positional relationships or various structural types, and can be applied to the actual scenario of adjusting auxiliary patterns that do not conform to the mask design rules. There is no need to separately set detection and adjustment strategies before or after each pattern adjustment as in the traditional technology.

[0167] When performing graphic adjustment on the auxiliary graphics on the chip mask through the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application, the processing efficiency and correction accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction process for the chip mask can be significantly improved, fully ensuring that the adjusted chip mask design complies with the mask design rules, thereby significantly improving the subsequent chip production efficiency, chip quality, and yield. And this technical solution can gradually approach the preset accuracy in each graphic adjustment in a way similar to binary search, effectively ensuring the processing accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction process, greatly improving the chip quality in the subsequent chip production process, and providing a strong guarantee for the normal operation and use of the produced chips.

[0168] Based on the mask adjustment method provided in the above embodiments, correspondingly, the present application also provides a specific implementation manner of the mask adjustment device. Please refer to the following embodiments.

[0169] Figure 9 FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a mask adjustment device provided in another embodiment of the present application. The mask adjustment device 900 includes: a region determination unit 901, an adjustment graphic determination unit 902, a starting edge determination unit 903, and a mask adjustment unit 904.

[0170] The region determination unit 901 is configured to determine a mask rule region corresponding to a target auxiliary graphic on a target mask according to a preset mask design rule;

[0171] The adjustment graphic determination unit 902 is configured to determine an auxiliary graphic to be adjusted that overlaps at least a part of the regions in the mask rule region;

[0172] The starting edge determination unit 903 is configured to determine at least one graphic growth starting edge corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted according to the mask rule region and the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted;

[0173] The mask adjustment unit 904 is configured to perform multiple graphic growths on at least one graphic growth starting edge according to the mask rule region, determine an adjusted auxiliary graphic corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted based on a preset growth stop criterion, and obtain an adjusted target mask.

[0174] In the embodiments provided by the present application, the above device can be flexibly applied to mask rule checking for auxiliary graphics with various positional relationships or various structural types, and can be applied to the actual scenario of adjusting auxiliary graphics that do not conform to the mask design rules, without re-specifying the detection and adjustment strategies after each graphic adjustment. This method can significantly improve the processing efficiency and correction accuracy of the optical proximity effect correction process, thereby ensuring that the mask design complies with the specifications, and further effectively improving the subsequent chip production efficiency and chip quality.

[0175] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned starting edge determination unit 903 is specifically configured to:

[0176] Determine the positional relationship information of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted relative to the mask pattern according to the mask pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted in the target mask;

[0177] Determine at least one candidate starting edge in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted according to the positional relationship information;

[0178] Determine the candidate starting edges that do not overlap with the mask rule area among the at least one candidate starting edge according to the mask rule area, and use them as the starting edges for pattern growth.

[0179] In some embodiments, the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted is a rectangle, and the positional relationship information is the included angle formed by the line segment connecting the graphic center points of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and the mask pattern and the horizontal axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system with the graphic center point of the mask pattern as the origin;

[0180] The above-mentioned starting edge determination unit 903 is specifically configured to:

[0181] Determine two edges in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted that are orthogonal to the line segment as the candidate starting edges, and the orthogonal relationship is used to indicate that the two edges are perpendicular to each other.

[0182] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned mask adjustment unit 904 is specifically configured to:

[0183] For each starting edge for pattern growth, determine the growth termination edge corresponding to the starting edge for pattern growth in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, and use the shortest distance between the starting edge for pattern growth and the growth termination edge as the length information corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted;

[0184] According to the length information, starting from the starting edge for pattern growth, perform an initial forward growth in the direction of the growth termination edge based on the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted to determine the pattern after the initial growth;

[0185] According to the mask rule area, perform at least one pattern growth adjustment on the pattern after the initial growth. The pattern growth adjustment includes forward growth and reverse backtracking. Forward growth is used to indicate growth in the direction of the growth termination edge, and reverse backtracking is used to indicate growth backtracking in the direction away from the growth termination edge;

[0186] After each pattern growth adjustment is completed, judge whether to terminate the adjustment according to the preset growth stop criterion, and use the auxiliary pattern after this adjustment termination as the adjusted auxiliary pattern.

[0187] In some embodiments, the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted may be a rectangular structure, the growth termination side is the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted, and the length information is the length of the non-start side corresponding to the non-growth start side orthogonal to the growth start side of the pattern in the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted;

[0188] The above-mentioned mask adjustment unit 904 is specifically configured to:

[0189] For each growth start side of the pattern, determine the initial growth length corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern according to the non-start side length;

[0190] According to the initial growth length, starting from the two end points of the growth start side of the pattern, extend line segments along the non-growth start side towards the two end points of the growth termination side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern to determine the pattern after the initial growth.

[0191] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned mask adjustment unit 904 is specifically configured to:

[0192] For each pattern growth adjustment, determine the displacement corresponding to this adjustment according to the displacement of the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the pattern after the previous adjustment during the previous adjustment;

[0193] Determine whether the pattern after the previous adjustment overlaps with at least part of the mask rule region;

[0194] If so, according to the displacement corresponding to this adjustment, perform a reverse retraction on the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the pattern after the previous adjustment;

[0195] If not, according to the displacement corresponding to this adjustment, perform a forward growth on the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the pattern after the previous adjustment.

[0196] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned mask adjustment unit 904 is specifically configured to:

[0197] For each pattern growth adjustment, determine the shortest distance between the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the pattern after this adjustment and the parallel side corresponding to the growth start side of the pattern in the pattern after the previous adjustment;

[0198] When it is determined that the shortest distance is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, determine that the adjustment terminates, and the pattern after this adjustment is used as the adjusted auxiliary pattern.

[0199] In some embodiments, the target auxiliary pattern is a rectangle, and the mask design rule represents the shortest distance between the pattern boundary of the target auxiliary pattern and other patterns;

[0200] The above-mentioned region determination unit 901 is specifically configured to:

[0201] Expand the four sides of the target auxiliary figure outward by the shortest distance to obtain the corresponding mask regular edges;

[0202] For each vertex of the target auxiliary figure, with this vertex as the center and the shortest distance as the radius, determine the corresponding mask regular circular area of this vertex;

[0203] Take the sector area formed by the extension lines of the two adjacent edges corresponding to this vertex and the mask regular circular area corresponding to this vertex as the mask regular sector area corresponding to this vertex;

[0204] Determine the tangent line of the arc midpoint of the mask regular sector area corresponding to this vertex as the tangent line corresponding to this vertex;

[0205] Determine the octagon area composed of the mask regular edges corresponding to the four sides of the target auxiliary figure and the tangent lines corresponding to the four vertices of the target auxiliary figure as the mask regular area.

[0206] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a mask adjustment device provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0207] In the mask adjustment device, a processor 1001 and a memory 1002 storing computer program instructions may be included.

[0208] Specifically, the above-mentioned processor 1001 may include a central processing unit (CPU), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application.

[0209] The memory 1002 may include a mass storage for data or instructions. By way of example and not limitation, the memory 1002 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, a magnetic tape, or a universal serial bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. In a suitable case, the memory 1002 may include a removable or non-removable (or fixed) medium. In a suitable case, the memory 1002 may be inside or outside the integrated gateway disaster recovery device. In a specific embodiment, the memory 1002 is a non-volatile solid state memory.

[0210] In a particular embodiment, the memory 1002 includes a read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, the ROM may be a mask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically rewritable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0211] The processor 1001 reads and executes the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1002 to implement any one of the mask adjustment methods in the above embodiments.

[0212] In one example, the mask adjustment device may further include a communication interface 1003 and a bus 1010. Among them, as Figure 10 shown, the processor 1001, the memory 1002, and the communication interface 1003 are connected through the bus 1010 to complete communication with each other.

[0213] The communication interface 1003 is mainly used to implement communication between each module, device, unit, and / or device in the embodiments of the present application.

[0214] The bus 1010 includes hardware, software, or both, and couples the components of the online data flow charging device to each other. By way of example and not limitation, the bus may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a Front Side Bus (FSB), a HyperTransport (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an InfiniBand interconnect, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association Local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, the bus 1010 may include one or more buses. Although the embodiments of the present application describe and illustrate specific buses, the present application contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.

[0215] In addition, in combination with the mask adjustment method in the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present application may provide a computer storage medium to implement. Computer program instructions are stored on the computer storage medium; when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, any one of the mask adjustment methods in the above embodiments is implemented.

[0216] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, including a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, any one of the mask adjustment methods in the above embodiments is implemented.

[0217] It should be clear that the present application is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, the detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present application is not limited to the specific steps described and shown, and those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order between steps after understanding the spirit of the present application.

[0218] The functional blocks shown in the above-described structural block diagrams can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, it can be, for example, an electronic circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), appropriate firmware, a plug-in, a functional card, and so on. When implemented in software, the elements of the present application are programs or code segments for performing the required tasks. The program or code segment can be stored in a machine-readable medium or transmitted via a data signal carried in a carrier wave on a transmission medium or a communication link. "Machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical discs, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, and so on. The code segment can be downloaded via a computer network such as the Internet, an intranet, and so on.

[0219] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in the present application describe some methods or systems based on a series of steps or devices. However, the present application is not limited to the order of the above steps, that is, the steps can be executed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or different from the order in the embodiments, or several steps can be executed simultaneously.

[0220] Aspects of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and the combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device enable the implementation of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. Such a processor can be, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a special application processor, or a field-programmable logic circuit. It can also be understood that each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combinations of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can also be implemented by dedicated hardware that performs the specified functions or actions, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0221] As described above, this is only the specific implementation manner of the present application. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be elaborated herein. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A mask adjustment method, characterized in that: include: According to a preset mask design rule, determining a mask rule area corresponding to a target auxiliary pattern on a target mask; Determine an auxiliary pattern to be adjusted that overlaps at least a portion of the regular area of ​​the mask; Determining at least one graphic growth starting edge corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted according to the mask regular area and the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted; According to the mask regular area, the at least one graphic growth start edge is subjected to multiple graphic growth operations, and an adjusted auxiliary graphic corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted is determined based on a preset growth stop standard to obtain an adjusted target mask.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining at least one graphic growth starting edge corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted according to the mask regular area and the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, comprising: Determining positional relationship information of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted relative to the mask pattern according to the mask pattern corresponding to the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted in the target mask; Determining at least one starting edge to be selected in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted according to the position relationship information; According to the mask regular area, a candidate starting edge among the at least one candidate starting edge that does not overlap with the mask regular area is determined as the graphic growth starting edge.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The auxiliary pattern to be adjusted is a rectangle, and the positional relationship information is an angle formed by a line segment connecting a center point of the auxiliary pattern to be adjusted and a center point of the mask pattern, and a horizontal axis of a plane rectangular coordinate system with the center point of the mask pattern as the origin; Determining at least one to-be-selected starting edge in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted according to the position relationship information includes: Two edges in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted that are orthogonal to the line segment are determined as the start edges to be selected, wherein the orthogonal relationship is used to indicate that the two edges are perpendicular to each other.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: According to the mask regular area, performing multiple graphic growth on the at least one graphic growth starting edge, and determining an adjusted auxiliary graphic corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted based on a preset growth stop standard, including: For each growth start edge of the graphic, determine the growth end edge corresponding to the growth start edge of the graphic in the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, and use the shortest distance between the growth start edge of the graphic and the growth end edge as the length information corresponding to the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted; According to the length information, starting from the growth start edge of the graphic, and based on the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, performing initial positive growth in the direction of the growth end edge, to determine the graphic after initial growth; According to the mask regular area, performing at least one graphic growth adjustment on the graphic after the initial growth, wherein the graphic growth adjustment includes forward growth and reverse retreat, wherein the forward growth is used to indicate growth in the direction toward the growth termination edge, and the reverse retreat is used to indicate growth retreat in the direction away from the growth termination edge; After each pattern growth adjustment is completed, it is determined whether the adjustment is terminated according to a preset growth stop standard, and the auxiliary pattern after the adjustment is terminated is used as the adjusted auxiliary pattern.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The auxiliary figure to be adjusted is a rectangle, the growth termination edge is a parallel edge corresponding to the growth start edge of the figure in the auxiliary figure to be adjusted, and the length information is the length of the non-starting edge in the auxiliary figure to be adjusted corresponding to the non-growth starting edge orthogonal to the growth start edge of the figure; According to the length information, starting from the growth start edge of the graphic, and based on the auxiliary graphic to be adjusted, performing initial positive growth in the direction of the growth end edge, to determine the graphic after the initial growth, including: For each starting edge of the graphic growth, determining the initial growth length corresponding to the starting edge of the graphic growth according to the length of the non-starting edge; According to the initial growth length, the graphic after initial growth is determined by extending a line segment along the non-growth starting edge to the two end points of the growth ending edge corresponding to the growth starting edge of the graphic, with the two end points of the growth starting edge of the graphic as starting points.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that According to the mask regular area, the graphic growth adjustment is performed at least once on the graphic after the initial growth, including: For each adjustment of the growth of the graph, the displacement corresponding to the adjustment is determined according to the displacement of the parallel edge corresponding to the growth starting edge of the graph after the last adjustment in the last adjustment; Determining whether the last adjusted pattern overlaps with at least a portion of the mask regular area; If so, according to the displacement corresponding to the adjustment, the parallel edge corresponding to the growth starting edge of the graphic in the last adjustment is reversed; If not, according to the displacement corresponding to the adjustment, the parallel edge corresponding to the growth start edge of the graphic in the last adjustment is grown forward.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that After each graph growth adjustment is completed, judging whether the adjustment is terminated according to a preset growth stop standard, and using the auxiliary graph after the adjustment is terminated as the adjusted auxiliary graph, including: For each graphic growth adjustment, determining the shortest distance between the parallel edge corresponding to the growth start edge of the graphic after the current adjustment and the parallel edge corresponding to the growth start edge of the graphic after the previous adjustment; When it is determined that the shortest distance is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, it is determined that the adjustment is terminated, and the adjusted graphic is used as the adjusted auxiliary graphic.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The target auxiliary pattern is a rectangle, and the mask design rule represents the shortest distance between the pattern boundary of the target auxiliary pattern and other patterns; According to the preset mask design rules, the mask rule area corresponding to the target auxiliary pattern on the target mask is determined, including: Extending the four edges of the target auxiliary pattern outward by the shortest distance to obtain corresponding mask regular edges; For each vertex of the target auxiliary figure, taking the vertex as the center of the circle and the shortest distance as the radius, determine a mask regular circular area corresponding to the vertex; The sector-shaped area divided by the extension lines of the two adjacent sides corresponding to the vertex and the mask regular circular area corresponding to the vertex is used as the mask regular sector-shaped area corresponding to the vertex; Determine the tangent line of the arc midpoint of the mask regular fan-shaped area corresponding to the vertex as the tangent line corresponding to the vertex; An octagonal area consisting of the mask regular edges corresponding to the four edges of the target auxiliary figure and the tangent lines corresponding to the four vertices of the target auxiliary figure is determined as the mask regular area.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The device comprises: a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions; When the processor executes the computer program instructions, the mask adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the mask adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

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