Globalfoundries Inc.

Globalfoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Wei-Long Wang

Yi Zou

Azat M Latypov

Tamer Coskun

Gek Soon Chua

Sriram Madhavan

Robert C Pack

Uwe Paul Schroeder

Piyush Pathak

Karthik Krishnamoorthy

Byoung Il Choi

Fadi S Batarseh

Disclosed is a method and corresponding system and program product that includes providing integrated circuit design layout(s), deconstructing the integrated circuit design layout(s) into unit-level geometric constructs, identifying anomalies in the unit-level geometric constructs, and storing anomaly data in a database. The method further includes determining one or more feature attributes for each of the plurality of unit-level geometric constructs, annotating the unit-level geometric constructs with feature attributes, resulting in annotated unit-level geometric constructs, mapping the annotated unit-level geometric constructs in a hyperplane formed by one or more feature attributes, each of the one or more feature attributes forming a dimensional axis of the hyperplane, resulting in a mapped hyperplane, applying a first model to the mapped hyperplane, identifying the anomalies from applying the first model, and applying a second model to the mapped hyperplane to rank the anomalies for printability risk, the generated data including rank data.

Method, system and program product for identifying anomalies in integrated circuit design layouts

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming assisting etch resistant fill topographical features that overlie a semiconductor substrate and that define an assisting etch resistant fill confinement well using a photomask. The photomask defines an assisting lithographically-printable mask feature. A block copolymer is deposited into the assisting etch resistant fill confinement well. The block copolymer is phase separated into an etchable phase and an etch resistant phase. The assisting etch resistant fill topographical features direct the etch resistant phase to form an etch resistant plug in the assisting etch resistant fill confinement well.

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits using directed self-assembly including lithographically-printable assist features

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes generating a photomask for forming a DSA directing pattern overlying a semiconductor substrate. The DSA directing pattern is configured to guide a self-assembly material deposited thereon that undergoes directed self-assembly (DSA) to form a DSA pattern. Generating the photomask includes identifying placement of DSA target patterns in a design layout. The DSA target patterns are grouped into groups including a first group and a first group boundary is defined around the first group. The method further includes determining if a neighboring DSA target pattern to the first group boundary is at least a predetermined minimal keep-away distance from an adjacent DSA target pattern that is within the first group boundary. The method also includes determining if the DSA target patterns in the first group are DSA compatible. An output mask pattern is generated using the first group boundary.

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits including generating photomasks for directed self-assembly (DSA) using DSA target patterns

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes generating a photomask for forming a DSA directing pattern overlying a semiconductor substrate. The DSA directing pattern is configured to guide a self-assembly material deposited thereon that undergoes directed self-assembly (DSA) to form a DSA pattern. Generating the photomask includes inputting DSA target patterns. The DSA target patterns are grouped into groups including a first group and a group boundary is defined around the first group as an initial OPC mask pattern. A circle target is generated around each of the DSA target patterns in the first group to define a merged circle target boundary. The initial OPC mask pattern is adjusted and/or iteratively updated using the merged circle target boundary to generate an output final OPC mask pattern.

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits including generating photomasks for directed self-assembly

An approach is provided for enabling simulation of photomask contour shapes, performing verification on the simulated photomask shapes, and correcting errors in OPC correction or bad fracturing methods to perform photomask proximity correction in real time before physically writing of the photomask. Embodiments include performing optical proximity correction of a photomask of a semiconductor layout to generate a corrected photomask, simulating the corrected photomask to generate one or more simulated contour shapes within a simulated photomask, verifying the simulated contour shapes to determine errors associated with the simulated photomask, and correcting the errors in the simulated contour shapes of the simulated photomask to generate a final photomask.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Wei-Long Wang