Optical Proximity Correction for Curved Layout Overlay Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor patterns become increasingly miniaturized, the optical proximity effect causes distortions in pattern transfer due to neighboring patterns, leading to inconsistencies between layout data and actual patterns formed on the substrate, which existing optical proximity correction methods struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
The method involves inputting curved layout data, performing manhattanization to transform it into polygonal data, fragmenting this data into components, generating an OPC model, simulating and adjusting it based on overlap scores with adjacent layers, and optimizing the design data without modifying the original curved layout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If linear layout data is used for optical proximity correction, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the pattern accuracy deteriorates as device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by transforming linear layout data into curved layout data that follows the actual target pattern geometry. This allows the OPC model to accurately represent complex curved patterns while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through systematic data transformation and simulation.
2Manufacturing precision
If curved layout data is used to match target layer shape, then pattern accuracy improves, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the curved layout data into multiple discrete points along the pattern contour. This segmentation transforms complex curved geometry into manageable point coordinates that can be processed systematically through manhattanization and fragmentation without overwhelming computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary manhattanization and fragmentation of curved layout data before generating the OPC model. This preliminary processing prepares the data in advance, reducing the computational burden during actual OPC simulation and pattern generation while maintaining high accuracy.
3Manufacturing precision
If adjacent layers are considered in OPC modeling, then overlay accuracy improves, but calculation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively considering only the necessary adjacent layers that have significant impact on the target pattern, rather than modeling all possible layer interactions. This approach achieves sufficient overlay accuracy while reducing unnecessary computational overhead and calculation time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for optical proximity correction (OPC), which may include inputting curved layout data corresponding to a target layer to be formed; performing manhattanization based on the curved layout data and acquiring manhattanized data; performing fragmentation on the manhattanized data and decomposing the manhattanized data into a plurality of data components; generating an OPC model based on the plurality of data components and performing a simulation on the OPC model to extract a contour of the OPC model; calculating an overlap score between the contour of the OPC model and a layer that is adjacent to the target layer and reflecting the calculated overlap score in the OPC model; and acquiring design data for forming the target layer based on the simulation result. Therefore, it is possible to obtain design data having positioning optimized according to positioning a target layer in consideration of an adjacent layer by the method for optical proximity correction according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.