The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Patent No.:

US 12754471 B1

Date of Patent:

Oct. 06, 2026

Filed:

Aug. 23, 2024

Mask optimization for layer accounting for overlap with other layers

Applicant:

D2s, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);

Inventors:

Donald Oriordan, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Akira Fujimura, Saratoga, CA (US);

Assignee:

D2S, INC., San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:

ADELI LLP

Primary Examiner:

Nghia M Doan

Int. Cl.

CPC ...

G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G03F 1/36 (2012.01); G03F 1/70 (2012.01); G03F 1/72 (2012.01); G06F 30/398 (2020.01); G06F 119/18 (2020.01); G06F 30/367 (2020.01); G06F 119/22 (2020.01);

U.S. Cl.

CPC ...

G03F 1/70 (2013.01); G03F 1/36 (2013.01); G03F 1/72 (2013.01); G03F 7/70441 (2013.01); G03F 7/705 (2013.01); G06F 30/398 (2020.01); G03F 7/70633 (2013.01); G06F 30/367 (2020.01); G06F 2119/18 (2020.01); G06F 2119/22 (2020.01);

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for optimizing a mask layout generated from a design layout of an integrated circuit (IC). The method generates, based on a first mask layout, a simulated wafer image having predicted manufactured shapes representing IC components that are to be manufactured on a first layer of the IC. The method identifies a cross-sectional overlap between a first shape of a first IC component in the simulated wafer image and a second shape of a second IC component in a wafer image for a second layer of the IC. The first and second IC components are related components in the IC. Based on the cross-sectional overlap, the method modifies the first mask layout to generate a modified second mask layout for the first layer.

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