Photomask Jog Portion Alignment Reduces Shot Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current photomask design methods result in numerous jog portions, leading to increased shot counts during manufacturing, which prolongs the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A design method for a photomask structure where jog portions are aligned to eliminate intermediate basic patterns, ensuring equal area changes in both jog portions, thereby reducing the number of basic patterns and shot counts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If OPC is performed on the layout pattern, then the patterning precision is improved, but the number of jog portions increases, resulting in increased shot count and manufacturing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent jog portions by aligning them to the same position and eliminating the intermediate basic pattern between them. This combines multiple separate jog portions into fewer consolidated jog portions, reducing the total shot count while preserving the patterning precision achieved through OPC.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the intermediate basic pattern that causes the jog portions to be separated. By taking out this intermediate element, the jog portions can be aligned and merged, reducing the shot count without compromising the OPC-improved patterning precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If more jog portions are present in the layout pattern, then the patterning detail is maintained, but the shot count increases, leading to increased manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple jog portions into fewer consolidated jog portions by aligning them to the same position. This reduces the device complexity in terms of shot count while maintaining the patterning detail through careful design of the merged jog structure that preserves the necessary pattern features.
3Productivity
If the number of basic patterns is reduced by eliminating intermediate patterns, then the shot count decreases, but the area of remaining basic patterns must be adjusted to maintain pattern integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the area parameter of the remaining basic patterns by extending them to fill the space created by eliminating the intermediate basic pattern. This parameter adjustment maintains the structural integrity and pattern continuity while achieving the goal of reducing shot count through fewer basic patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A design method of a photomask structure including the following steps is provided. A layout pattern is provided. The layout pattern includes first to third basic patterns. The second basic pattern is located between the first and third basic patterns and connected to the first and third basic patterns. There is a first jog portion between the first and second basic patterns, there is a second jog portion between the second and third basic patterns, and the first and second jog portions are located at two opposite sides of the layout pattern. The first and second jog portions are moved to align the first and second jog portions with each other and to eliminate the second basic pattern, wherein a first area change amount produced by moving the first jog portion is equal to a second area change amount produced by moving the second jog portion.