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:
Feb. 10, 2015

Filed:

Mar. 15, 2013
Applicant:

International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);

Inventors:

Tadanobu Inoue, Kanagawa, JP;

David O. Melville, New York, NY (US);

Alan E. Rosenbluth, Yorktown Heights, NY (US);

Masaharu Sakamoto, Kanagawa, JP;

Kehan Tian, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 17/50 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 17/5081 (2013.01);
Abstract

Systems and methods for optimizing a source shape and a mask shape for a lithography process are disclosed. One such method includes performing a mask optimization for the lithography process in accordance with a set of parameters including at least one variable representation, at least one objective and problem constraints. Further, a light source optimization for the lithography process is performed in accordance with the set of parameters. In addition, a joint light source-mask optimization is performed in accordance with the set of parameters. The method further includes iterating at least one of the mask optimization or the light source optimization by changing at least one of the variable representation, the objective or the problem constraints to maximize a common process window for the lithography process.


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