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:
Nov. 28, 2011
Tatung Chow, San Jose, CA (US);
Changqing HU, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Donghwan Son, Cupertino, CA (US);
David H. Kim, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Thomas C. Cecil, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Tatung Chow, San Jose, CA (US);
Changqing Hu, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Donghwan Son, Cupertino, CA (US);
David H. Kim, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Thomas C. Cecil, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Synopsys, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
During a calculation technique, at least a portion of a target pattern associated with an integrated-circuit design is modified so that polygons in the target pattern, which represent features in the design, result in acceptable accuracy during a photolithographic process that fabricates the target pattern on a semiconductor die. In particular, a set of polygon parameters associated with the polygons are modified, as needed, so that a cost function that corresponds to a difference between a modified target pattern and an estimated target pattern produced during the photolithographic process meets a termination criterion. A mask pattern that can fabricate the modified target pattern on the semiconductor die is calculated using an inverse optical calculation in which the modified target pattern is at an image plane of an optical path associated with the photolithographic process and the mask pattern is at an object plane of the optical path.