US6413684B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method to eliminate side lobe printing of attenuated phase shift masks
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 2000-07-19
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Granted: 2002-07-02
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Expires: 2020-07-19
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a method of reducing side lobe printing using an attenuated phase shift mask that is designed to diminish the background of the attenuating portions that would otherwise be associated with a side lobe. The present invention reduces the magnitude of the side lobe by placing an opaque material on the partially light transmissive material so as to reduce or prevent the background of the attenuating portion.
Inventors
- 👤 William A. Stanton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:09
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F1/00; G03F1/36; G03F1/26; G03F1/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A computer readable storage medium containing a computer readable code for operating a computer to perform a method of eliminating side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said method comprising the steps of: inputting the circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; organizing the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulating the environments to determine contours of the environments; determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; placing opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correcting each environment to form a corrected design and to ensure that circuit features of the corrected design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A computer readable storage medium containing a computer readable code for operating a computer to perform a method of eliminating side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said method comprising the steps of: inputting the circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; organizing the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulating the environments to determine contours of the environments; determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; placing opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correcting each environment to form a corrected design and to ensure that circuit features of the corrected design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein said simulating step is performed by determining how the environments would print from the mask based on a simulation model.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the simulation model comprises an optical model.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the optical model utilizes image data determined by settings of a tool used to process a wafer with the mask to simulate the contours of the environments.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the simulation model comprises a process model.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the process model utilizes contour data from a processed wafer to simulate the contours of the environments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein said determining step comprises: determining whether a contour is associated with a circuit feature of the input design; and if a contour is not associated with a circuit feature, identifying the contour as a side lobe.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the circuit features correspond to transparent regions within the mask.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising the step of verifying the corrected design to ensure that side lobes do not print from the mask.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein said verifying step comprises: simulating environments of the corrected design to determine contours of the environments; and determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the corrected design.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein said step of simulating the corrected design is performed by determining how the environments of the corrected design would print from the mask based on a simulation model.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the simulation model comprises an optical model.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the optical model utilizes image data determined by settings of a tool used to process a wafer with the mask to simulate the contours of the environments of the corrected design.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the simulation model comprises a process model.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the process model utilizes contour data from a processed wafer to simulate the contours of the environments of the corrected design.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein said correcting step comprises an optimal proximity correction of the circuit features based on the placement of the circuit features and the opaque material within the environments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein multiple environments of the input design are processed in a parallel manner.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
159 words
A system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable storage medium to: input a circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environment; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a corrected design and to ensure that circuit features of the corrected design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
159 words
A system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable storage medium to: input a circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environment; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a corrected design and to ensure that circuit features of the corrected design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
162 words
A system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said storage medium also containing a circuit design, said design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable medium to: organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environments; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure that circuit features of the modified design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
162 words
A system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said storage medium also containing a circuit design, said design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable medium to: organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environments; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure that circuit features of the modified design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
144 words
A computer program transmitted from a server computer to a computer system, said computer system comprising memory and a processor in communication with said memory, said memory containing the computer program, said computer program causing said processor to perform the acts of: inputting a circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from a mask; organizing the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulating the environments to determine contours of the environments; determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; placing opaque material within the environments at a location of each determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure that circuit features of the modified design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
144 words
A computer program transmitted from a server computer to a computer system, said computer system comprising memory and a processor in communication with said memory, said memory containing the computer program, said computer program causing said processor to perform the acts of: inputting a circuit design, the design comprising circuit features to be printed from a mask; organizing the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulating the environments to determine contours of the environments; determining from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; placing opaque material within the environments at a location of each determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure that circuit features of the modified design print in accordance with the input circuit design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
184 words
A system for eliminating side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said system comprising: a plurality of computer systems, each computer system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said storage medium also containing a circuit design, said design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable medium to: organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environments; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask, wherein each computer system processes different environments of said input design.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
184 words
A system for eliminating side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said system comprising: a plurality of computer systems, each computer system comprising: a computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for execution by a processor to eliminate side lobe printing from a phase shift mask implementing a circuit design, said storage medium also containing a circuit design, said design comprising circuit features to be printed from the mask; and a processor in communication with said computer readable storage medium, said processor executing said program instructions stored on said computer readable medium to: organize the input design into a plurality of feature environments; simulate the environments to determine contours of the environments; determine from the contours if there are any side lobes within the environments; place opaque material within the environments at a location of at least one determined side lobe; and correct each environment to form a modified design and to ensure design, wherein the opaque material eliminates at least one side lobe printing from the mask, wherein each computer system processes different environments of said input design.
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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) | 2005-07-01 | 2005-12-31 | 2006-07-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-07-01 | 2009-12-31 | 2010-07-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-07-01 | 2013-12-31 | 2014-07-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |