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.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 2004

Filed:

Feb. 25, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:

Christophe Pierrat, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Michel Luc Côté, San Jose, CA (US);

Assignee:

Numerical Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 1/750 ; G03F 9/00 ; G03F 7/20 ; G03C 5/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 1/750 ; G03F 9/00 ; G03F 7/20 ; G03C 5/00 ;
Abstract

A method for producing a computer readable definition of photolithographic mask used to define a target pattern is provided. The phase shift mask patterns include phase shift windows, and the trim mask patterns include trim shapes, which have boundaries defined by such sets of line segments. For a particular pair of phase shift windows used to define a target feature in a target pattern, each of the phase shift windows in the pair can be considered to have a boundary that includes at least one line segment that abuts the target feature. Likewise, a complementary trim shape used in definition of the target feature, for example by including a transmissive region used to clear an unwanted phase transition between the particular pair of phase shift windows, includes at least one line segment that can be considered to abut the target feature. Proximity correction is provided by adjusting the position of the at least one line segment on the boundary of a phase shift windows in said pair which abuts the target feature, and by adjusting the position of the at least one line segment on the boundary of the complementary trim shape which abuts the target feature.


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