Method for automatically eliminating three way intersection design conflicts in phase edge, phase shift designs

Claim 1

A method of locating and resolving three way intersection design conflicts in computer-generated patterns formed of a collection of geometric shapes, comprising the steps of: (1) forming a first set of edge projections having projection shapes which are located outside and bordering each major border edge of geometric shapes in an original pattern, wherein each edge projection shape in said first set is longer than a length of a bordering major edge by a distance equal to a width of a widest feature in a corresponding one of said geometric shapes requiring phase shifting; (2) forming a second set of edge projections having projection shapes on said geometric shapes, wherein said second set of edge projections are formed in side and bordering each of said major border edge, wherein each edge projection shape in second set is shorter than a bordering major edge by a distance equal to a width of a widest feature in a corresponding one of said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; (3) locating all of said first set of edge projections from step (1) that intersect an edge projection from step (2); (4) locating all edge projections among those identified from step (3) that are parallel and spaced at a distance no wider than a widest feature requiring phase shifting; (5) forming a third set of edge projections from among the projections identified from step (4) that are exactly a length of a major border edge and at least as wide as half the difference between a feature width and a minimum feature size not requiring phase shifting; and (6) merging the projections identified in step (5) with the original pattern.

Claim 2

A method of locating and resolving three way intersection design conflicts in computer-generated patterns formed of a collection of geometric shapes, comprising the steps of: (1) forming a first set of edge projections having projection shapes which are located outside and bordering each major border edge of geometric shapes in an original pattern, wherein each edge projection shape in said first set is longer than a length of a bordering major edge by a distance equal to a width of a widest feature in a corresponding one of said geometric shapes requiring phase shifting; (2) forming a second set of edge projections having projection shapes on said geometric shapes, wherein said second set of edge projections are formed in side and bordering each of said major border edge, wherein each edge projection shape in second set is shorter than a bordering major edge by a distance equal to a width of a widest feature in a corresponding one of said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; (3) locating all of said first set of edge projections from step (1) that intersect an edge projection from step (2); (4) locating all edge projections among those identified from step (3) that are parallel and spaced at a distance no wider than a widest feature requiring phase shifting; (5) forming a third set of edge projections from among the projections identified from step (4) that are exactly a length of a major border edge and at least as wide as half the difference between a feature width and a minimum feature size not requiring phase shifting; and (6) merging the projections identified in step (5) with the original pattern.

Claim 5

A method of locating and resolving three way intersection design conflicts in phase edge phase shifted mask designs used in the manufacture of VLSI circuits, comprising the steps of: decomposing an original circuit design into a collection of geometric shapes at an arbitrary critical dimension, said geometric shapes being defined by major edges and ends that intersect said major border edges; forming a first set of edge projections "A" having projection shapes outside and bordering each of said major edges of said geometric shapes, wherein each edge projection shape of said first set of projections "A" is longer than the length of the bordering major edge by a distance equal to width of a widest feature in said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; forming a second set of edge projections "B" having projection shapes on said geometric shapes, where said second set of edge projections "B" are formed inside and bordering each of said major edges and wherein said edge projection shapes of said edge projections "B" are shorter than the bordering major edge by a distance equal to the width of the widest feature in said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; locating all of said first set of edge projections "A" that intersect an edge projection "B" resulting in "C"; locating all edge projections "C" that are parallel and spaced at a distance no wider than a widest feature requiring phase shifting resulting in projections "D"; forming a third set of edge projections from projections "D" that are exactly the length of a major edge and at least as wide as half the difference between a feature width and a minimum feature size not requiring phase shifting resulting in projections "E"; and merging projections "E" with the original circuit design.

Claim 6

A method of locating and resolving three way intersection design conflicts in phase edge phase shifted mask designs used in the manufacture of VLSI circuits, comprising the steps of: decomposing an original circuit design into a collection of geometric shapes at an arbitrary critical dimension, said geometric shapes being defined by major edges and ends that intersect said major border edges; forming a first set of edge projections "A" having projection shapes outside and bordering each of said major edges of said geometric shapes, wherein each edge projection shape of said first set of projections "A" is longer than the length of the bordering major edge by a distance equal to width of a widest feature in said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; forming a second set of edge projections "B" having projection shapes on said geometric shapes, where said second set of edge projections "B" are formed inside and bordering each of said major edges and wherein said edge projection shapes of said edge projections "B" are shorter than the bordering major edge by a distance equal to the width of the widest feature in said geometric shape requiring phase shifting; locating all of said first set of edge projections "A" that intersect an edge projection "B" resulting in "C"; locating all edge projections "C" that are parallel and spaced at a distance no wider than a widest feature requiring phase shifting resulting in projections "D"; forming a third set of edge projections from projections "D" that are exactly the length of a major edge and at least as wide as half the difference between a feature width and a minimum feature size not requiring phase shifting resulting in projections "E"; and merging projections "E" with the original circuit design.