D2s, Inc.

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Ds2, Inc.

Akira Fujimura

Harold Robert Zable

Nagesh Shirali

Michael Tucker

Steven L Teig

Lance Glasser

Kazuyuki Hagiwara

Ingo Bork

Ryan Pearman

Takashi Mitsuhashi

William E Guthrie

P Jeffrey Ungar

Robert C Pack

Louis K Scheffer

David Overhauser

Raghu Prasad Chalasani

Anatoly Aadamov

Etienne Jacques

Stephen F Meier

Shohei Matsushita

Abhishek Shendre

Donald Oriordan

Kenji Yoshida

Ajay Baranwal

Larry Lam Chau

Tam Dinh Thanh Nguyen

Eldar Khaliullin

Andrew Edward Caldwell

Asmus Hetzel

Anish Malhotra

Heath Feather

Jon Frankle

Katsuo Komuro

David S Harrison

Alexandre Matveev

Roger King

Michael Jude Meyer

Thang Nguyen

Hengfu Hsu

Suhas Pillai

Donald Benton MacMillen

Daisuke Hara

Leo Pang

James Fong

George Janac

Some embodiments provide a method for calculating parasitic parameters for a pattern to be manufactured on an integrated circuit (IC) substrate. The method receives a definition of a wire structure as input. The method rasterizes the wire structure (e.g., produces pixel-based definition of the wire structure) to produce several images. Before rasterizing the wire structure, the method in some embodiments decomposes the wire structure into several components (e.g., several wires, wire segments or wire structure portions), which it then individually rasterizes. The method then uses the images as inputs to a neural network, which then calculates parasitic parameters associated with the wire structure. In some embodiments, the parasitic parameters include unwanted parasitic capacitance effects exerted on the wire structure. Conjunctively, or alternatively, these parameters include unwanted parasitic resistance and/or inductance effects on the wire structure.

Methods and systems to determine parasitics for semiconductor or flat panel display fabrication

Some embodiments provide a method for computing and displaying of minimum overlap for semiconductor layer interfaces, such as metal-via and metal-contact. The method leverages a machine-trained network (e.g., a trained neural network) to quickly, but accurately, infer the contours for the manufactured shapes across a range of process variations. The method also models the semiconductor process manufacturing layer-to-layer misalignment. The combined set of information (from the machine-trained network and from the modeling) is used by the method to compute the minimum overlap shapes at multiple layer interfaces. The method in some embodiments then uses the minimum overlap shapes to obtain an accurate calculation of the via or contact resistance.

Generating and display an animation of a predicted overlap shape in an IC design

Computing parasitic values for semiconductor designs

Methods for calculating a pattern to be manufactured on a substrate include inputting a physical design pattern, determining a plurality of possible neighborhoods for the physical design pattern, generating a plurality of possible mask designs for the physical design pattern, calculating a plurality of possible patterns on the substrate, calculating a variation band from the plurality of possible patterns, and modifying the physical design pattern to reduce the variation band. Embodiments also include inputting a set of parameters for a neural network to calculate a pattern to be manufactured on a substrate, calculating a plurality of patterns to be manufactured on the substrate for the physical design in each possible neighborhood of the plurality of possible neighborhoods, training the neural network with the calculated plurality of patterns, and adjusting the set of parameters to reduce the manufacturing variation for the calculated plurality of patterns to be manufactured on a substrate.

Methods and systems to determine shapes for semiconductor or flat panel display fabrication

Systems for reticle enhancement technology (RET) for use with variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include a device configured to determine an initial mask pattern from a desired pattern for a substrate; a device configured to calculate a first substrate pattern from the initial mask pattern; a device configured to determine an initial set of VSB shots based on the initial mask pattern; a device configured to calculate a second substrate pattern from a simulated mask pattern calculated with the initial set of VSB shots; a device configured to compare the first substrate pattern with the second substrate pattern; and a device configured to adjust the initial set of VSB shots until the second substrate pattern and the first substrate pattern are within a predetermined tolerance, creating an adjusted set of VSB shots.

Methods and systems for reticle enhancement technology of a design pattern to be manufactured on a substrate

Methods incorporate variable side wall angle (VSA) into calculated patterns, using a mask 3D (M3D) effect. Embodiments include inputting a mask exposure information and determining the M3D effect. Determining the M3D effect may include determining the VSA. Embodiments may include calculating a VSA; and calculating a pattern on a substrate using the calculated VSA, wherein calculating the pattern on the substrate includes a mask 3D effect.

Method and system for reticle enhancement technology

Methods and systems for fracturing a pattern to be exposed on a surface using variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include inputting an initial pattern; calculating a first substrate pattern from the initial pattern; overlaying the initial pattern with a two-dimensional grid, wherein an initial set of VSB shots are formed by a union of the initial pattern with locations on the grid; and merging two or more adjacent shots in the initial set of VSB shots to create a larger shot in a modified set of VSB shots; and outputting the modified set of VSB shots. The methods and systems also include calculating a calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface with the modified set of VSB shots; and calculating a second substrate pattern from the calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface.

Methods and systems for exposing a desired shape in an area on a surface using a charged particle beam system include determining a local pattern density for the area, based on an original set of exposure information. A pre-proximity effect correction (PEC) maximum dose for the local pattern density is determined, based on a pre-determined target post-PEC maximum dose. The pre-PEC maximum dose may be calculated near an edge of the desired shape. Methods also include modifying the original set of exposure information with the pre-PEC maximum dose to create a modified set of exposure information.

Method and system for determining a charged particle beam exposure for a local pattern density

Methods for reticle enhancement technology (RET) for use with variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include determining an initial mask pattern from a desired pattern for a substrate; calculating a first substrate pattern from the initial mask pattern; determining an initial set of VSB shots that will form the initial mask pattern; calculating a simulated mask pattern from the initial set of VSB shots; calculating a second substrate pattern from the simulated mask pattern; and adjusting the initial set of VSB shots, wherein the adjusting of the initial set of VSB shots creates an adjusted set of VSB shots.

Method for reticle enhancement technology of a design pattern to be manufactured on a substrate

Methods for fracturing a pattern to be exposed on a surface using variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include inputting an initial pattern; calculating a first substrate pattern from the initial pattern; overlaying the initial pattern with a two-dimensional grid, wherein an initial set of VSB shots are formed by a union of the initial pattern with locations on the grid; and merging two or more adjacent shots in the initial set of VSB shots to create a larger shot in a modified set of VSB shots; and outputting the modified set of VSB shots. The method also includes calculating a calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface with the modified set of VSB shots; and calculating a second substrate pattern from the calculated pattern to be exposed on the surface.

Methods incorporate variable side wall angle (VSA) into calculated patterns, using a mask 3D (M3D) effect. Embodiments include inputting a mask exposure information, calculating a mask 2D (M2D) effect from the mask exposure information, and determining the M3D effect from the M2D effect. Determining the M3D effect may include determining the VSA, such as by using a neural network. Embodiments may include determining a dose margin from mask exposure information; calculating a VSA using the dose margin; and calculating a pattern on a substrate using the calculated VSA, wherein calculating the pattern on the substrate includes a mask 3D effect.

A method for exposing a pattern in an area on a surface using a charged particle beam lithography is disclosed and includes inputting an original set of exposure information for the area. The area comprises a plurality of pixels, and the original set of exposure information comprises dosages for the plurality of pixels in the area. A backscatter is calculated for a sub area of the area based on the original set of exposure information including the dosages for the plurality of pixels in the area. An increase in dosage for at least one pixel in a plurality of pixels in the sub area is determined, in a location where the backscatter of the sub area is below a pre-determined threshold, thereby increasing the backscatter of the sub area.

Method and system of reducing charged particle beam write time

Methods for reticle enhancement technology (RET) for use with variable shaped beam (VSB) lithography include inputting a desired pattern to be formed on a substrate; determining an initial mask pattern from the desired pattern for the substrate; optimizing the initial mask pattern for wafer quality using a VSB exposure system; and outputting the optimized mask pattern. Methods for fracturing a pattern to be exposed on a surface using VSB lithography include inputting an initial pattern; overlaying the initial pattern with a two-dimensional grid, wherein an initial set of VSB shots are formed by the union of the initial pattern with locations on the grid; merging two or more adjacent shots in the initial set of VSB shots to create a larger shot in a modified set of VSB shots; and outputting the modified set of VSB shots.

Methods for exposing a desired shape in an area on a surface using a charged particle beam system include determining a local pattern density for the area of the desired shape based on an original set of exposure information. A backscatter for a sub area is calculated, based on the original set of exposure information. Dosage for at least one pixel in a plurality of pixels in the sub area is increased, in a location where the backscatter of the sub area is below a pre-determined threshold, thereby increasing the backscatter of the sub area. A pre-PEC maximum dose is determined for the local pattern density, based on a pre-determined target post-PEC maximum dose. The original set of exposure information is modified with the pre-PEC maximum dose and the increased dosage of the at least one pixel in the sub area to create a modified set of exposure information.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Akira Fujimura