Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ying-Yu Shen

Wen-Ju Preet Yang

Chin-Chang Hsu

Yi-Kan Cheng

Ken-Hsien Hsieh

Hsiao-Shu Chao

HungLung Lin

Chung-Hsing Wang

Yuan-Te Hou

Huang-Yu Chen

Yu-Jung Chang

Chin-Hsiung Hsu

Yi-Chuin Tsai

Nien-Yu Tsai

Hung Lung Lin

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device are described. In an embodiment, the method may include providing a substrate having a metal layer disposed thereon, the metal layer having a conductive trace pattern formed therein; depositing a dielectric material over the conductive trace pattern of the metal layer; determining a layout of a plurality of air gaps that will be formed in the dielectric material based on a design rule checking (DRC) procedure and the conductive trace pattern; and forming the plurality of air gaps in the dielectric material based on the layout of the plurality of air gaps.

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device

Among other things, one or more techniques and systems for performing design layout are provided. An initial design layout is associated with an electrical component, such as a standard cell. A conflict graph is generated based upon the initial design layout. The conflict graph comprises one or more nodes, representing polygons within the initial design layout, connected by one or more edges. A same-process edge specifies that two nodes are to be generated by the same pattern process, while a different-process edge specified that two nodes are to be generated by different pattern processes, such as a mandrel pattern process and a passive fill pattern process. The conflict graph is evaluated to identify a conflict, such as a self-aligned multiple pattering (SAMP) conflict, associated with the initial design layout. The conflict is visually displayed so that the initial design layout can be modified to resolve the conflict.

Conflict detection for self-aligned multiple patterning compliance

A method includes receiving data representing a layout of a DPT-layer of an integrated circuit generated by a place and route tool. The layout includes a plurality of polygons to be formed in the DPT-layer by a multi-patterning process. First and second ones of the plurality of polygons to be formed using first and second photomasks, respectively are identified. Any intervening polygons along a first path connecting the first polygon to the second polygon, and separator regions between adjacent polygons along the first path are identified. The separator regions have sizes less than a minimum threshold distance between polygons formed on the first photomask. The separator regions are counted. A multi-patterning conflict is identified, if the count of separator regions is even, prior to assigning all remaining ones of the plurality of polygons to the first or second masks.

Multi-patterning method

A computer implemented system comprises: a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with data representing an initial layout of an integrated circuit pattern layer having a plurality of polygons. A special-purpose computer is configured to perform the steps of: analyzing in the initial layout of an integrated circuit pattern layer having a plurality of polygons, so as to identify a plurality of multi-patterning conflict cycles in the initial layout; constructing in the computer a respective multi-patterning conflict cycle graph representing each identified multi-patterning conflict cycle; classifying each identified multi-patterning conflict cycle graph in the computer according to a number of other multi-patterning conflict cycle graphs which enclose that multi-patterning conflict cycle graph; and causing a display device to graphically display the plurality of multi-patterning conflict cycle graphs according to their respective classifications.

Tool and method for eliminating multi-patterning conflicts

Growing community of inventors

Chiayi, Taiwan

Ying-Yu Shen