Applied Materials, Inc.

Asher Klatchko

Peter Pirogovsky

Samuel C Howells

Matthew J Jolley

Richard E Crandall

Robin Lynn Teitzel

Jerry Martyniuk

Thomas E Chabreck

John Hubbard

H Christopher Hamaker

Robert Marc Sills

Robert J Beauchaine

Michael A Ward

Methods and apparatus for correcting defects, such as rounded corners and line end shortening, in patterns formed via lithography are provided. Such defects are compensated for 'post-rasterization' by manipulating the grayscale values of pixel maps.

Optical proximity correction in raster scan printing based on corner matching templates

Methods and apparatus for correcting defects, such as rounded corners and line end shortening, in patterns formed via photolithography are provided. Such defects are compensated for 'post-rasterization' by manipulating the grayscale values of pixel maps.

Optical proximity correction in raster scan printing based on grayscale manipulation of the bitmap

An algorithm (method) for sizing (adjusting edges) grayscale or dose level pixel-maps (raster images) real time for input into radiant beam lithography systems or similar dose level grayscale image rendering systems to compensate for systemic distortions such as edge bias and/or loss of linearity (i) successively assembles one or more frame matrixes of grayscale values from a parent pixel-map having edges and corners where an edge is defined by gray pixels having values between 1, 2, . . . n, or by pixels having at least one black (0-gray or dose level) neighbor; (ii) slides a sub-matrix window within each frame matrix, to find, calculate and store values for gradients perpendicular to the edges, and any corner within each frame matrix; (iii) loops over pixels within such sub-matrix window at each position within the frame matrix to adjust the grayscale value of each edge pixel found; and (iii) propagates a grayscale correction value to pixels inward or outward per the computed perpendicular gradient to establish a new edge position within each frame matrix, and where there is more than one frame matrix , (iv) reassembles the frame matrixes, thereby, generating a daughter grayscale or dose level pixel-map which upon projection and recording compensates for systemic distortions.

Method for adjusting edges of grayscale pixel-map images

Systems and methods for gray scale lithography for defining edges such as on microelectronic device patterns during integrated circuit fabrication are disclosed. Methods for critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement utilize central pixel dose addition or modulated inner pixels. A method for gray scale lithography for defining edges of features generally comprises identifying a center pixel of a feature, exposing the general width of the feature including the identified center pixel with full doses, and enhancing the identified center pixel by exposing the identified center pixel with additional dose to accurately place the edge of the feature, whereby the edge of the feature is defined and moved by exposing the center pixel with the additional dose. Another method for gray scale lithography generally comprises identifying a proximal interior pixel immediately interior to an unbiased edge of the feature, exposing the general width of the feature full dosages, and exposing the proximal interior pixel with a dosage of elevated intensity selected from a set of gray levels, the elevated intensities being above the full dosage, the set of gray levels biases the edge of the feature and facilitates in further moving the edge of the feature in fractional increments of a pixel depending upon the gray level selected.

Critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement with central pixel dose addition and modulated inner pixels

A pattern generation method and system in which hierarchical image data (determining a pattern to be imaged on a target) is received at a graphics engine having a memory, at least one cell determining a repeated feature or set of features of the pattern is stored in the memory, and beam control data is generated in response to the image data. The image data includes residual data including at least two subroutine call commands for each cell stored in the memory. In response to each subroutine call command, the graphics engine retrieves a cell (identified by the command) from the memory, and asserts beam control data that determines a feature or feature set determined by the cell to be imaged at (or beginning at) a location on the target identified by the command. The subroutine call commands can be distributed throughout the image data, including in at least one cell to be cached as well as in the residual data. Preferably, the graphics engine caches each cell of the image data in the memory and generates a set of beam control data in response to each subroutine call command including by retrieving a cached cell from the memory and generating the beam control data in response to the retrieved cell. Alternatively, the graphics engine generates a cell of beam control data in response to each cell of image data, caches each such beam control data cell in the memory, and responds to each subroutine call command of the image data by retrieving a cached beam control data cell from the memory and asserting the retrieved beam control data cell as part of a set of beam control data that determines a feature or feature set (determined by the retrieved cell) to be imaged on the target. Another aspect of the invention is a method and apparatus for determining cells of hierarchical image data (to be transferred to a graphics engine) by analyzing hierarchical raw image data and transforming the raw image data into optimized hierarchical image data including the cells.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Asher Klatchko