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.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 2013
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2011
Chin-chang Hsu, Banqiao, TW;
Ying-yu Shen, Chiayi, TW;
Wen-ju Yang, Hsinichu, TW;
Hsiao-shu Chao, Baoshan Township, TW;
Yi-kan Cheng, Taipei, TW;
Chin-Chang Hsu, Banqiao, TW;
Ying-Yu Shen, Chiayi, TW;
Wen-Ju Yang, Hsinichu, TW;
Hsiao-Shu Chao, Baoshan Township, TW;
Yi-Kan Cheng, Taipei, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
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.