Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Feng-Lung Lin

Ru-Gun Liu

Wen-Chun Huang

Chun-Hung Wu

Hung-Chun Wang

Ping-Chieh Wu

Cheng Kun Tsai

Ching-Hsu Chang

Wen-Hao Liu

Feng-Ju Chang

Ming-Hsuan Wu

Fei-Gwo Tsai

Che-Rong Liang

Kuan-Liang Wu

An integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing method includes receiving an IC design layout having IC regions separate from each other. Each of the IC regions includes an initial IC pattern that is substantially identical among the IC regions. The method further includes identifying a group of IC regions from the IC regions. All IC regions in the group have a substantially same location effect, which is introduced by global locations of the IC regions on the IC design layout. The method further includes performing a correction process to a first IC region in the group, modifying the initial IC pattern in the first IC region into a first corrected IC pattern. The correction process includes using a computer program to correct location effect. The method further includes replacing the initial IC pattern in a second IC region in the group with the first corrected IC pattern.

Method for integrated circuit manufacturing

Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing method. The method includes receiving an IC design layout, wherein the IC design layout includes multiple IC regions and each of the IC regions includes an initial IC pattern. The method further includes performing a correction process to a first IC region, thereby modifying the initial IC pattern in the first IC region to result in a first corrected IC pattern in the first IC region, wherein the correction process includes location effect correction. The method further includes replacing the initial IC pattern in a second IC region with the first corrected IC pattern.

Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing method. The method includes receiving a design layout of an IC, wherein the design layout includes a plurality of non-overlapping IC regions and each of the IC regions includes a same initial IC pattern. The method further includes dividing the IC regions into a plurality of groups based on a location effect analysis such that all IC regions in a respective one of the groups are to have substantially same location effect. The method further includes performing a correction to one IC region in each of the groups using a correction model that includes location effect; and copying the corrected IC region to other IC regions in the respective group. The method further includes storing the corrected IC design layout in a tangible computer-readable medium for use by a further IC process stage.

A hybrid mask set for exposing a plurality of layers on a semiconductor substrate to create an integrated circuit device is disclosed. The hybrid mask set includes a first group of one or more multi-layer masks (MLMs) for a first subset of the plurality of layers. Each MLM includes a plurality of different images for different layers, the images being separated by a relatively wide image spacer. The hybrid mask set also includes a first group of one or more production-ready masks for a second subset of the plurality of layers. Each production-ready mask includes a plurality of similar images for a common layer, each image being separated by a relatively narrow scribe street.

Hybrid multi-layer mask

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Feng-Lung Lin