International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Zheng G Chen

Maharaj Mukherjee

Timothy Joseph Dalton

Alan Edward Rosenbluth

Mark Alan Lavin

Kafai Lai

Naftali Eliahu Lustig

Allen H Gabor

Rui Chen

Shlomo Shlafman

Gregg M Gallatin

Dov Ramm

Emanuel Gofman

Glenn A Biery

Yuping Ren

Bradley Morgenfeld

Ming Hao Tang

This disclosure relates to a structure for aligning layers of an integrated circuit (IC) structure that may include a first dielectric layer positioned above a semiconductor substrate having one or more active devices, a trench stop layer positioned above the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer positioned above the trench stop layer, and a plurality of metal-filled marking trenches extending vertically through the second dielectric layer and the trench stop layer and at least partially into the first dielectric layer. The metal-filled trenches are electrically isolated from any active devices contained in the IC.

Mark structure for aligning layers of integrated circuit structure and methods of forming same

A mask design for enhancing line end resolution is provided. In an embodiment, a mask for use in patterning an underlying layer comprises opaque regions and transparent regions arranged to define a line having an end, a slit extending laterally through the line a spaced distance from the end of the line, and a feature extending above or below the space adjacent to the end of the line.

Mask design for enhancing line end resolution

A method is described for performing model-based optical proximity corrections on a mask layout used in an optical lithography process having a plurality of mask shapes. Model-based optical proximity correction is performed by computing the image intensity on selected evaluation points on the mask layout. The image intensity to be computed includes optical flare and stray light effects due to the interactions between the shapes on the mask layout. The computation of the image intensity involves sub-dividing the mask layout into a plurality of regions, each region at an increasing distance from the evaluation point. The contributions of the optical flare and stray light effects due to mask shapes in each of the regions are then determined. Finally, all the contributions thus obtained are combined to obtain the final computation of the image intensity at the selected point.

Fast and accurate optical proximity correction engine for incorporating long range flare effects

MIM capacitors and thin film resistors are fabricated with at least one less lithographic step than the prior art methods. The process step reduction is realized by using semi-transparent metallic electrodes, fabricated with a two-mask process, which provides for direct alignment, and eliminates the need for alignment trenches in an additional layer.

Two-mask process for metal-insulator-metal capacitors and single mask process for thin film resistors

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Zheng G Chen