Patent US6128067A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6128067A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Correcting method and correcting system for mask pattern
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1998-04-28
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Granted: 2000-10-03
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Expires: 2018-04-28
Abstract
Abstract An optical-image simulation for a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit is conducted based on different illuminating conditions, and a pattern bias in each of the illuminating conditions is calculated based on the result of the optical-image simulation. The plurality of pattern data of the semiconductor integrated circuit are CAD data corresponding to patterns of an actual circuit. Evaluation patterns which are produced while changing the illuminating conditions are electrically measured to obtain the pattern bias. A correction value of a mask pattern is obtained from the pattern bias which was obtained by a simulation under the same illuminating condition under which the pattern bias becomes zero. Therefore, it is possible to accurately interrelate the simulation result and an experimental data and thus, it is possible to obtain a correction value of an accurate mask pattern including a lithography margin.
Inventors
- 👤 Koji Hashimoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:14
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70058; G03F7/70125; G03F1/00; G03F1/36; G03F7/70425; G03F7/70433; G03F7/70441
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A correcting system for a mask pattern comprising: a memory device for storing a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit; a simulator for simulating an optical-image of the pattern data of said semiconductor integrated circuit supplied from the memory device based on different illuminating conditions, said simulator calculating an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on a result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; a producing device for producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; a measuring device for measuring a final size of said evaluation pattern produced by said producing device; a first calculating section for calculating an illuminating condition so that the pattern bias of the pattern serves as zero based on the final size measured by said measuring device; and a second calculating section for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of the pattern bias calculated by said simulator and said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
A correcting system for a mask pattern comprising: a memory device for storing a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit; a simulator for simulating an optical-image of the pattern data of said semiconductor integrated circuit supplied from the memory device based on different illuminating conditions, said simulator calculating an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on a result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; a producing device for producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; a measuring device for measuring a final size of said evaluation pattern produced by said producing device; a first calculating section for calculating an illuminating condition so that the pattern bias of the pattern serves as zero based on the final size measured by said measuring device; and a second calculating section for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of the pattern bias calculated by said simulator and said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said illuminating condition includes a standard illumination, a plurality of zone illuminations having different obstruction ratios, and a plurality of coherent illuminations having different opening radii.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation pattern includes a gate pattern of a memory cell and a pattern of a peripheral circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor integrated circuit is one of a DRAM, an SRAM, a nonvolatile memory, and a logic circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said simulator and said first and second calculating sections are included in one computer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said simulator simulates the optical-image of the pattern data of the semiconductor integrated circuit by using at least an illumination condition as a parameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
87 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said second calculating section calculates the correction value of the mask pattern by using said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section and a following equation δ total, (I)=δ total, (II)+(δ aerial, (I)-δ aerial, (II)) wherein, δ total, (I) and δ total, (II) are total pattern biases in illumination conditions (I) and (II), respectively, and δ aerial, (I) and δ aerial, (II) are the total pattern biases due to aerial image in the illuminating conditions (I) and (II), respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said reference pattern is a pattern simulated by using a standard illumination condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
201 words
A correcting system for a mask pattern comprising: a memory for storing a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit; a simulator for simulating an optical-image of the pattern data of said semiconductor integrated circuit supplied from the memory device based on different illuminating conditions, said simulator calculating an amount of a pattern bias based on a result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; a producing device for producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; a measuring device for measuring a final size of said evaluation pattern produced by said producing device; a first calculating section for calculating an illuminating conditions in which a common process window of each of said evaluation patterns becomes maximum based on the final size measured by said measuring device; and a second calculating section for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulator and the illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
201 words
A correcting system for a mask pattern comprising: a memory for storing a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit; a simulator for simulating an optical-image of the pattern data of said semiconductor integrated circuit supplied from the memory device based on different illuminating conditions, said simulator calculating an amount of a pattern bias based on a result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; a producing device for producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; a measuring device for measuring a final size of said evaluation pattern produced by said producing device; a first calculating section for calculating an illuminating conditions in which a common process window of each of said evaluation patterns becomes maximum based on the final size measured by said measuring device; and a second calculating section for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulator and the illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said illuminating condition includes a standard illumination, a plurality of zone illuminations having different obstruction ratios, and a plurality of coherent illuminations having different opening radii.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said evaluation pattern includes a gate pattern of a memory cell and a pattern of a peripheral circuit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said semiconductor integrated circuit is one of a DRAM, an SRAM, a nonvolatile memory, and a logic circuit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said simulator and said first and second calculating sections are included in one computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said simulator simulates the optical-image of the pattern data of the semiconductor integrated circuit by using at least illumination condition as a parameter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
88 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said second calculating section calculates the correction value of the mask pattern by using said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating section and a following equation: δ total, (I)=δ total, (II)+(δ aerial, (I)-δ aerial, (II)) wherein, δ total, (I) and δ total, (II) are a total pattern bias in illumination conditions (I) and (II), respectively, and δ aerial, (I) and δ aerial, (II) are the total pattern bias due to aerial image in the illuminating conditions (I) and (II), respectively.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 9, wherein said reference pattern is a pattern simulated by using a standard illumination condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
175 words
A correcting method for a mask pattern comprising the steps of: simulating an optical-image for a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit based on different illuminating conditions, and calculate an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on the result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; measuring a final size of the produced evaluation pattern; and said method further comprising: a first calculating step for calculating an illuminating condition so that the pattern bias of the pattern serves as zero based on the measured final size; and a second calculating step for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulation and said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating step.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
175 words
A correcting method for a mask pattern comprising the steps of: simulating an optical-image for a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit based on different illuminating conditions, and calculate an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on the result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; measuring a final size of the produced evaluation pattern; and said method further comprising: a first calculating step for calculating an illuminating condition so that the pattern bias of the pattern serves as zero based on the measured final size; and a second calculating step for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulation and said illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said illuminating condition includes a standard illumination, a plurality of zone illuminations having different obstruction ratios, and a plurality of coherent illuminations having different opening radii.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said evaluation pattern includes a gate pattern of a memory cell and a pattern of a peripheral circuit.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said simulation and said first and second calculating steps are conducted by one computer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 17, wherein said reference pattern is a pattern simulated by using a standard illumination condition.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
176 words
A correcting method for a mask pattern comprising the steps of: simulating an optical-image for a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit based on different illuminating conditions, and calculate an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on the result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern-bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; measuring a final size of said produced evaluation pattern; and said method further comprising: a first calculating step for calculating an illuminating condition in which a common process window of each of said evaluation patterns becomes maximum from the measured final size; and a second calculating step for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulation and the illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating step.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
176 words
A correcting method for a mask pattern comprising the steps of: simulating an optical-image for a plurality of pattern data of a semiconductor integrated circuit based on different illuminating conditions, and calculate an amount of a pattern bias in each of said illuminating conditions based on the result of said optical-image simulation, wherein the amount of pattern-bias is a difference between a size of a reference pattern and a size of said optical-image simulated by the simulator; producing an evaluation pattern for evaluating a characteristic of said semiconductor integrated circuit on a wafer based on said different illuminating conditions; measuring a final size of said produced evaluation pattern; and said method further comprising: a first calculating step for calculating an illuminating condition in which a common process window of each of said evaluation patterns becomes maximum from the measured final size; and a second calculating step for calculating a correction value of the mask pattern based on the amount of pattern bias calculated by said simulation and the illuminating condition calculated by said first calculating step.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 22, wherein said illuminating condition includes a standard illumination, a plurality of zone illuminations having different obstruction ratios, and a plurality of coherent illuminations having different opening radii.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 22, wherein said evaluation pattern includes a gate pattern of a memory cell and a pattern of a peripheral circuit.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 22, wherein said simulation and said first and second calculating steps are conducted by one computer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 22, wherein said reference pattern is a pattern simulated by using a standard illumination condition.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-03 | 2004-04-03 | 2004-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-03 | 2008-04-03 | 2008-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-03 | 2012-04-03 | 2012-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |