US6303253B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hierarchy and domain-balancing method and algorithm for serif mask design in microlithography
Assignee: GlobalFoundries Inc
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Filing: 2000-03-16
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Granted: 2001-10-16
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Expires: 2020-03-16
Abstract
Abstract A structure and method for performing optical proximity correction in photolithographic masks includes defining a hierarchy of inner bands adjacent and inside edges and ends of a mask structure within the photolithographic mask, defining a hierarchy of outer bands adjacent and outside edges and ends of said mask structure changing a transparency of part of the inner and outer bands for the mask structure to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes, determining whether the predefined transparency changes affect the outer band of the mask structure or outer bands of other mask structures on the photolithographic mask, and altering the predefined transparency changes to prevent the predefined transparency changes from affecting the outer band and the outer bands. Domain-balancing method and algorithm are used to decide the position, shape, and size of serifs and holes in the predefined transparency changes.
Inventors
- 👤 Ning Lu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:48
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F1/00; G03F1/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining an inner band within a mask structure on said photolithographic mask, said inner band being adjacent an edge of said mask structure; defining an outer band outside said mask structure and adjacent said edge of said mask structure; changing a transparency of said mask structure to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes affect said outer band of said mask structure; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer band.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining an inner band within a mask structure on said photolithographic mask, said inner band being adjacent an edge of said mask structure; defining an outer band outside said mask structure and adjacent said edge of said mask structure; changing a transparency of said mask structure to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes affect said outer band of said mask structure; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer band.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method in claim 1 , wherein said predefined transparency changes comprise one of forming a hole within said mask structure at interior right angles of said mask structure and forming a serif external to said mask structure at exterior right angles of said mask structure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method in claim 1 , wherein said altering comprises changing a transparency of said inner band and said outer band to form a negative complementary image along said edge of said mask structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method in claim 1 , wherein said altering comprises identifying quadrants around corners of said mask structure and changing a transparency of said quadrants to form mirror images between diagonal quadrants.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method in claim 1 , wherein said altering comprises adding a series of holes within said inner band.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method in claim 5 , wherein said series of holes decrease in size depending upon a positional distance from a corner of said mask structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method in claim 1 , wherein said determining includes balancing aerial image intensity of a point along said edge and a corner of said mask structure.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining inner bands within mask structures on said photolithographic mask, said inner bands being adjacent edges of said mask structures; defining outer bands outside said mask structures and adjacent said edges of said mask structures; changing a transparency of said mask structures to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes on a first mask structure affect outer bands of other mask structures on said photolithographic mask; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer bands of said other mask structures.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
108 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining inner bands within mask structures on said photolithographic mask, said inner bands being adjacent edges of said mask structures; defining outer bands outside said mask structures and adjacent said edges of said mask structures; changing a transparency of said mask structures to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes on a first mask structure affect outer bands of other mask structures on said photolithographic mask; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer bands of said other mask structures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method in claim 8 , wherein said predefined transparency changes comprise one of forming a hole within said mask structures at interior right angles of said mask structures and forming a serif external to said mask structures at exterior right angles of said mask structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method in claim 8 , wherein said altering comprises changing a transparency of said inner bands and said outer bands to form a negative complementary image along each edge of said mask structures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method in claim 8 , wherein said altering comprises identifying quadrants around corners of said mask structures and changing a transparency of said quadrants to form mirror images between diagonal quadrants.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method in claim 8 , wherein said altering comprises adding a series of holes within said inner bands.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method in claim 12 , wherein said series of holes decrease in size depending upon a positional distance from a corner of said mask structures.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method in claim 8 , wherein said determining includes balancing aerial image intensity of a point along an edge and a corner of each of said mask structure.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining inner bands within mask structures on said photolithographic mask, said inner bands being adjacent edges of said mask structures; defining central bands within said inner bands; defining outer bands outside said mask structures and adjacent said edges of said mask structures; defining proximity bands outside said outer bands; changing a transparency of said mask structures to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes on a first mask structure affect outer bands and proximity bands of other mask structures on said photolithographic mask; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer bands and said proximity bands of said other mask structures.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for performing optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask comprising: defining inner bands within mask structures on said photolithographic mask, said inner bands being adjacent edges of said mask structures; defining central bands within said inner bands; defining outer bands outside said mask structures and adjacent said edges of said mask structures; defining proximity bands outside said outer bands; changing a transparency of said mask structures to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes on a first mask structure affect outer bands and proximity bands of other mask structures on said photolithographic mask; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer bands and said proximity bands of said other mask structures.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method in claim 15 , wherein said predefined transparency changes comprise one of forming a hole within said mask structures at interior right angles of said mask structures and forming a serif external to said mask structures at exterior right angles of said mask structure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method in claim 15 , wherein said altering comprises changing a transparency of said inner bands, said central bands, said outer bands and said proximity bands to form a negative complementary image along each edge of said mask structures.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method in claim 15 , wherein said altering comprises identifying quadrants around corners of said mask structures and changing a transparency of said quadrants to form mirror images between diagonal quadrants.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in claim 15 , wherein said altering comprises adding a series of holes within said inner bands and said central bands.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method in claim 19 , wherein said series of holes decrease in size depending upon a positional distance from a corner of said mask structures.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method in claim 15 , wherein said determining includes balancing aerial image intensity of a point along an edge and a corner of each of said mask structure.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
119 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask, said method comprising: defining an inner band within a mask structure on said photolithographic mask, said inner band being adjacent an edge of said mask structure; defining an outer band outside said mask structure and adjacent said edge of said mask structure; changing a transparency of said mask structure to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes affect said outer band of said mask structure; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer band.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
119 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of optical proximity correction in a photolithographic mask, said method comprising: defining an inner band within a mask structure on said photolithographic mask, said inner band being adjacent an edge of said mask structure; defining an outer band outside said mask structure and adjacent said edge of said mask structure; changing a transparency of said mask structure to correct for optical proximity errors using predefined transparency changes; determining whether said predefined transparency changes affect said outer band of said mask structure; and altering said predefined transparency changes to prevent said predefined transparency changes from affecting said outer band.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
48 words
The program storage device in claim 22 , wherein said predefined transparency changes comprise one of forming a hole within said mask structure at interior right angles of said mask structure and forming a serif external to said mask structure at exterior right angles of said mask structure.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
The program storage device in claim 22 , wherein said altering comprises changing a transparency of said inner band and said outer band to form a negative complementary image along said edge of said mask structure.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
The program storage device in claim 22 , wherein said altering comprises identifying quadrants around corners of said mask structure and changing a transparency of said quadrants to form mirror images between diagonal quadrants.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The program storage device in claim 22 , wherein said altering comprises adding a series of holes within said inner band.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
The program storage device in claim 26 , wherein said series of holes decrease in size depending upon a positional distance from a corner of said mask structure.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The program storage device in claim 22 , wherein said determining includes balancing aerial image intensity of a point along said edge and a corner of said mask structure.
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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) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-04-16 | 2005-10-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-15 | 2009-04-16 | 2009-10-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-15 | 2013-04-16 | 2013-10-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |