Charged Particle Beam Writing Apparatus Data Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of large-scale integrated circuits (LSI) leads to a significant increase in the amount of layout data, causing inefficiencies in data processing and transmission, and resulting in writing errors due to coordinate system shifts and distribution leakage during electron beam writing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that input writing data with identifiers for cell patterns extending over multiple small regions, allowing for error detection and verification, thereby preventing writing errors and improving processing efficiency by postponing data amount increases to the downstream stage of data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If distributed processing is carried out by dividing the writing region into small regions, then data processing efficiency is enhanced, but cells extending over multiple small regions cause coordination errors and require complex data distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The writing region is divided into multiple small regions (frames), and each frame is processed independently with its own coordinate system. This segmentation enables distributed processing while the invention adds coordinate transformation functionality to each frame processor to ensure accurate positioning of cells that extend across frame boundaries, thus maintaining writing accuracy despite regional division.
Solution Approach 2:
A coordinate transformation mechanism acts as an intermediary between different frame coordinate systems. When a cell extends across multiple frames, the coordinate transformation functionality converts coordinates between frames, ensuring the cell is accurately positioned and written across frame boundaries without coordination errors.
2Ease of operation
If cells are previously divided to be defined by each small region, then data processing independency is improved, but the amount of layout data increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains a single master layout data definition for each cell regardless of how many frames it spans. The same cell data is universally referenced across multiple frames with coordinate transformations applied during processing, eliminating the need to create separate cell definitions for each frame and thus preventing data multiplication.
Solution Approach 2:
Coordinate transformation parameters and frame boundary information are prepared in advance as metadata. This preliminary preparation enables independent processing of each frame while maintaining accurate cell positioning across boundaries, without requiring duplicate cell definitions in each frame's data.
3Manufacturing precision
If array development is performed to define cells by each small region, then processing accuracy is improved, but data transmission time and conversion time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating duplicate cell definitions for each frame, the invention copies only the necessary coordinate transformation parameters and frame boundary information. The actual cell pattern data is referenced once and transformed coordinate-wise for each frame, dramatically reducing data transmission volume while maintaining writing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms cell position parameters using coordinate transformations rather than duplicating cell definitions. By changing the parameter representation from duplicate geometric data to transformed coordinate data, data transmission and processing time are reduced while maintaining the same pattern writing accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies and enhances data verification, reduces writing errors, and improves processing efficiency by ensuring accurate distribution and alignment of cell patterns across multiple regions, thereby maintaining high precision in electron beam writing.
Implementation Method 1
writing data used for writing a cell pattern in a writing region of a target workpiece by using charged particle beams
Data Source
AI summary
A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input writing data for writing a plurality of cell patterns including at least one cell pattern in which an identifier is added to each of data defining the at least one cell pattern extending over at least two small regions in a plurality of small regions obtained by virtually dividing a writing region, an extraction unit configured to extract the at least one cell pattern to which the identifier is added from the plurality of cell patterns, an output unit configured to output an error result when only one cell pattern is extracted, and a writing unit configured to write the plurality of cell patterns by irradiating a target workpiece with a charged particle beam, based on the writing data for which the error result is not output.