Optical Proximity Correction With Patch Boundary Conformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor device fabrication methods face challenges in achieving high precision and reliability due to optical proximity effects during photolithography, which can lead to distorted patterns and reduced integration density.
Innovation Solution
The proposed method involves an optical proximity correction (OPC) process that sections the layout into low-level and high-level patches, performs OPC operations on each patch to generate boundary correction patterns, and merges these patterns into a single conformed boundary correction pattern to correct for optical proximity effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If optical proximity correction is performed on the entire layout at once, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to computational burden
Solution Approach 1:
The layout is divided into multiple patches, with each patch processed independently for OPC operations. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity of the overall OPC process while maintaining manufacturing precision through localized correction patterns that are subsequently merged.
2Manufacturing precision
If boundary correction patterns are generated for each patch independently, then manufacturing precision is improved, but pattern consistency deteriorates at patch boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
Boundary correction patterns generated from adjacent patches are merged through a conformation process that ensures continuity and consistency at patch boundaries. This merging operation maintains pattern stability while preserving the manufacturing precision achieved through independent patch processing.
3Productivity
If layout is sectioned into multiple patches for OPC, then productivity is improved through parallel processing, but manufacturing precision may deteriorate at patch boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
Different processing approaches are applied to different regions: interior patches use standard OPC operations while boundary patches use specialized boundary correction operations. This local quality approach ensures high manufacturing precision at boundaries while maintaining overall productivity through parallel processing of multiple patches.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) operation on a layout and forming a photoresist pattern on a substrate using a photomask that is manufactured with the layout corrected by the OPC operation. The OPC operation includes sectioning the layout into a low-level patch and a high-level patch, performing a first OPC operation on the low-level patch, the first OPC operation including generating a first boundary correction pattern of a curvilinear shape on a boundary between the low-level patch and the high-level patch, performing a second OPC operation on the high-level patch, the second OPC operation including a second boundary correction pattern of a curvilinear shape on the boundary, and conforming the first boundary correction pattern and the second boundary correction pattern to each other to generate a conformed boundary correction pattern of a curvilinear shape.