Convex Polygon Merging for Maskless Lithography Edge Fidelity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital lithography techniques face challenges in efficiently creating patterns on large area substrates for semiconductor and display devices, particularly in minimizing polygon count while maintaining edge fidelity during maskless lithography processes.
Innovation Solution
A data tuning software application that processes graphical objects to generate convex polygons, forms edge lists, and selectively merges them to reduce the number of polygons, thereby minimizing the trapezoid count while limiting edge fidelity loss, facilitating fast computation and parallel image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of convex polygons is reduced through merging, then computation speed and storage efficiency are improved, but edge fidelity is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent convex polygons that share common edges into single polygon representations. By identifying and combining polygons along shared boundaries, the total polygon count is reduced while maintaining the geometric accuracy of edge representations, thus improving computation speed without significantly degrading edge fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a unified polygon data structure that serves multiple functions: it represents geometric shapes for lithography patterning, enables efficient storage through reduced polygon counts, and maintains edge fidelity for precise pattern creation. This multi-functional approach allows a single data structure to optimize both computation speed and manufacturing precision.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of convex polygons is reduced through merging, then storage requirements are minimized, but edge fidelity is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent convex polygons that share common edges into single polygon representations. By identifying and combining polygons along shared boundaries, the total polygon count is reduced while maintaining the geometric accuracy of edge representations, thus improving computation speed without significantly degrading edge fidelity.
3Manufacturing precision
If more convex polygons are used to maintain edge fidelity, then manufacturing precision is improved, but computation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent convex polygons that share common edges into single polygon representations. By identifying and combining polygons along shared boundaries, the total polygon count is reduced while maintaining the geometric accuracy of edge representations, thus improving computation speed without significantly degrading edge fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the polygon data structure by changing the parameter of polygon count through merging operations. This parameter change reduces the number of discrete polygon objects that require processing, thereby decreasing computation time while preserving the essential geometric information needed for maintaining edge fidelity in lithography patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A data tuning software application platform relating to the ability to apply maskless lithography patterns to a substrate in a manufacturing process is disclosed in which the application processes graphical objects and configures the graphical objects for partition into a plurality of trapezoids. The trapezoids may be selectively merged in order to minimize the trapezoid count while limiting the loss of edge fidelity.