International Business Machines Corporation

Alexander C Wei

Yea-Sen Lin

Amr A Abdo

Ramon E De La Cruz

A method of calibrating a lithographic process model is provided. The method includes providing a test pattern that includes a plurality of shapes; transferring the test pattern onto a photo-mask forming a resist image of the test pattern using the photo-mask; collecting model calibration data from the resist image; and calibrating the lithographic process model using the model calibration data, wherein the plurality of shapes of the test pattern have at least a first shape and a second shape, and distances from an edge of the first shape to an edge of the second shape over a range thereof, when being measured parallel to each other, differ from each other.

Test pattern for contour calibration in OPC model build

A method for implementing optical rule checking to identify and quantify corner rounding errors includes receiving corner rounding data based on established ground rules; determining a simulated shape for a semiconductor device feature produced on a wafer, the simulated shape based on a designed shape for the semiconductor device feature; selecting a corner feature associated with the designed shape, and drawing one or more triangles at the selected corner feature. For each triangle, the presence or absence of an intersection between the triangle and the simulated shape is determined, wherein a degree of corner rounding is determined by a pair of successively sized triangles for which one of the pair intersects with the simulated shape and the other does not; and comparing the determined corner rounding with the corner rounding data for the designed shape to determine whether the simulated shape results in a rule violation.

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Alexander C Wei