Sony Corporation

Hidetoshi Ohnuma

Kazuhisa Ogawa

Kaoru Koike

Mikio Oka

Kazuyoshi Kawahara

Kensuke Tsuchiya

A pattern correction method includes: a correction step of performing pattern correction on a semiconductor circuit pattern having plural transistors as component elements; an order of priority recognition step of recognizing an order of priority set with respect to the plural transistors prior to the pattern correction at the correction step; and a condition adjustment step of adjusting correction conditions for the pattern correction with reference to the transistor having a high priority recognized at the order of priority recognition step in the pattern correction at the correction step.

Pattern correction method, exposure mask, manufacturing method of exposure mask, and manufacturing method of semiconductor device

Disclosed is an exposure pattern forming method of forming an exposure pattern by correcting each pattern portion constituting a design pattern by a correction amount, which amount is previously prepared so as to correspond to both a line width of the pattern portion and a space width of a space portion adjacent to the pattern portion, characterized by including the steps of: subjecting the design pattern to graphic form arithmetic operation, to extract each pattern portion for each target line width, and to extract space portion for each target space width; and subjecting each pattern portion extracted for each target line width and the space portion extracted for each target space width to graphic form arithmetic operation based on the corresponding one of the correction amounts, to thereby correct the pattern portion having each target line width for each target space width.

Exposure pattern forming method and exposure pattern

The present invention provides an exposure pattern forming method using a rule-based proximity effect correction method to which graphic form arithmetic operation is applied. Disclosed is an exposure pattern forming method of forming an exposure pattern by correcting each of pattern portions constituting a design pattern by a correction amount, which amount is previously prepared so as to correspond to both a line width of the pattern portion and a space width of a space portion adjacent to the pattern portion, characterized by including the steps of: subjecting the design pattern to graphic form arithmetic operation, to extract each of the pattern portions for each of target line widths, and to extract each of the space portions for each of target space widths (STST); and subjecting each of the pattern portion extracted for each of the target line widths and the space portion extracted for each of the target space widths to graphic form arithmetic operation based on the corresponding one of the correction amounts, to thereby correct the pattern portion having each of the target line widths for each of the target space widths (STto ST).

By correcting an optical proximity effect with respect to design patterns by an optical proximity effect correcting means and simulating patterns after the correction of optical proximity effect by a simulation means, transfer patterns of gate electrodes are generated and measurement portion in the transfer patterns of the gate electrodes are changed in accordance with characteristics required for a circuit. Then, in accordance with whether the point required from the circuit is a higher speed, stability, or a reduction of a leakage current, it is judged whether or not a deviation from the design value at the measurement point of the transfer pattern of the gate electrode as explained above is within an allowable range. The pattern of the measurement point is shifted when the deviation is not within the allowable range. By repeating feedback until the measurement point is within an allowable range, the optimum correction is performed in accordance with the characteristics required from the circuit within a range where it functions as a gate electrode.

Mask pattern correction apparatus and mask pattern correction method and mask preparation method and method of production of a semiconductor device

The present invention provides an exposure pattern forming method using a rule-based proximity effect correction method to which graphic form arithmetic operation is applied. Disclosed is an exposure pattern forming method of forming an exposure pattern by correcting each of pattern portions constituting a design pattern by a correction amount, which amount is previously prepared so as to correspond to both a line width of the pattern portion and a space width of a space portion adjacent to the pattern portion, characterized by including the steps of: subjecting the design pattern to graphic form arithmetic operation, to extract each of the pattern portions for each of target line widths, and to extract each of the space portions for each of target space widths (ST, ST); and subjecting each of the pattern portion extracted for each of the target line widths and the space portion extracted for each of the target space widths to graphic form arithmetic operation based on the corresponding one of the correction amounts, to thereby correct the pattern portion having each of the target line widths for each of the target space widths (STto ST).

A rule-based OPC evaluating method and a simulation-based OPC model evaluating method for accurately evaluating line width controllability are disclosed. Mask pattern design data about an evaluation-use mask are input to rule-based OPC to obtain correction data about the mask pattern on the evaluation-use mask. An evaluation-use wafer is fabricated based on the correction data thus acquired. Gate patterns on the evaluation-use wafer are measured for size. Based on a simulation-based OPC model having undergone process calibration, simulation data are output corresponding to all gate patterns on the evaluation-use wafer. The measured data about the evaluation-use gate patterns are compared with the simulation data, whereby the rule-based OPC is evaluated.

Rule based OPC evaluating method and simulation-based OPC model evaluating method

The present invention is a method capable of fabricating photomasks with improved control of gate line width wafers. More specifically a method is provided to determine a mask correction unitbased on pattern space dependencyin the pattern obtained in the photolithographic process and etching process, and correct the mask fabrication design datautilizing the mask correction unit, and fabricate photomasks using photolithographic equipment.

Photomask fabrication method, photomask, and exposure method thereof

The present invention provides a correcting method of exposure pattern, an exposure method, a exposure system, a photomask and a semiconductor device, which can simplify an operation required for correcting an optical proximity effect of a light shielding film pattern and data processing. A serif pattern ( ) relative to a light shielding film pattern ( ) constituting a layout-designed exposure pattern ( ) is prepared, and the light shielding film pattern ( ) and the serif pattern ( ) is graphically computed so as to correct the light shielding film pattern ( ). An optical proximity effect in exposure is corrected by using the light shielding film pattern ( ), and thereby, it is possible to simplify operational processing required for making an optical proximity effect correction with respect to the light shielding film pattern ( ), and to considerably shorten a processing time for making the optical proximity effect correction.

Correcting method of exposure pattern, exposure method, exposure system, photomask and semiconductor device

A mask pattern generating method and pattern generating apparatus capable of automatically arranging phase shifters efficiently without any discrepancies and to correct a line width difference caused by different densities of fine patterns; wherein shapes and phases of a plurality of phase shift patterns are determined based on positional relationships of a plurality of fine patterns, and the phases are determined so as to give a phase difference of the two sides of the fine patterns of 180 degrees. For example, a plurality of fine patterns are extracted from already designed element shape patterns, unit patterns of at least a predetermined width required for canceling light interference are arranged at the two sides in the direction of fine line width for each of the extracted plurality of the fine patterns, and a plurality of phase shift patterns are generated by OR processing of the unit patterns etc. Further, when there is a phase mismatch giving a phase difference of 0 degree, the phase mismatch is eliminated by changing the pattern such as dividing the shift pattern after layout compression etc. in accordance with need.

Pattern generating method and apparatus

A method for correcting designed-pattern data obtained by data-processing a plurality of designed patterns, comprising the steps of (a) producing hierarchical-area-bitmapped bitmap data from a plurality of the designed-pattern data, (b) determining a line width of the designed pattern and a space width between said designed pattern and a designed pattern adjacent to said designed pattern, from said hierarchical-area-bitmapped bitmap data, and (c) correcting the designed-pattern data on the basis of the determined line width and the determined space width, for proximity effect correction and/or optical proximity effect correction.

Method and apparatus of correcting design-patterned data, method of electron beam and optical exposure, method of fabricating semiconductor and photomask devices

An initial hash database is generated by giving hash indices to drawing data of drawing patterns that are obtained by performing calculation processing on exposure data relating to layout-designed exposure data. Then, drawing data of a target drawing pattern is extracted by searching the hash database, and the extracted drawing data is subjected to a proximity effect correction. Then, a new hash database is generated by giving hash indices to the corrected drawing data. As a result, the data retrieval time is greatly shortened and the amount of corrected data is reduced.

Exposure data correction method, exposing method, photomask,

A correcting method and a correcting apparatus which consider a proximity effect when drawing a pattern of a photomask by an energy beam such as an electron beam or a light proximity effect when performing exposure by using a photomask and obtaining a transfer pattern and can correct the pattern data so that the finally obtained transfer pattern becomes close to the designed pattern even if they occur. Where there is another pattern at the periphery of a pattern in a certain mesh at a center which is subjected to mesh registration, it is decided that a mutual proximity effect will occur at the time of drawing, only a part of the patterns in which it can be considered that the mutual proximity effect will occur are subdivided, and the dosage amount data at drawing are assigned to individual subdivided patterns. Where there is not another pattern at the periphery, it is decided that the self proximity effect will occur at the time of drawing, the peripheral portions of the pattern in which it can be considered that the self proximity effect will occur are subdivided, and the dosage amount data at drawing are assigned to individual subdivided patterns.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hidetoshi Ohnuma