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US6567964B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Continuously variable dummy pattern density generating systems, methods and computer program products for patterning integrated circuits
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
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Filing: 2001-08-10
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Granted: 2003-05-20
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Expires: 2021-08-10
Abstract
Abstract Dummy patterns are generated for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into buckets by obtaining a local pattern density for a respective bucket and adjusting a density of the dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region. By providing a continuously variable dummy pattern density, the desired density of the dummy pattern group may be adjusted precisely, to thereby reduce or eliminate loading effects. The density of the dummy pattern for the respective bucket may be calculated according to a formula in which the density of the dummy pattern is continuously variable. The dummy patterns may include features of fixed pitch and a size of the features of fixed pitch is increased or decreased as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and the target density for the region.
Inventors
- 👤 Jae-pil Shin
- 👤 Kwang-jai Yoo
- 👤 Sang-Ho Park
- 👤 Moon-hyun Yoo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 10:12
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P76/00; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/092; G; G06; G06F; G06F30/00; G06F30/30; G06F30/39; G03; G03F; G03F1/00; G03F1/36; H10W20/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the method comprising: obtaining a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
63 words
A method for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the method comprising: obtaining a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket according to a formula in which the density of the dummy pattern is continuously variable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the dummy pattern includes a plurality of features of fixed pitch and wherein the adjusting comprises increasing or decreasing a size of the features of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise quadrangles of fixed pitch and wherein the adjusting comprises increasing or decreasing a length of at least one side of the quadrangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise rectangles of fixed pitch and wherein the adjusting comprises increasing or decreasing a length of at least one side of the rectangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of a square root of a difference between the respective local pattern density and the target density for the region, multiplied by an area of the dummy pattern in the respective bucket, divided by a number of dummy patterns in the respective bucket.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the obtaining is preceded by: reading integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit from an integrated circuit design layout database; dividing the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit into the plurality of buckets; calculating the local pattern density for a respective one of the buckets; and determining a dummy region for a respective one of the buckets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the adjusting is followed by arranging the dummy pattern for the respective bucket, including the density that is a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region, in the dummy region for the respective one of the buckets.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein the arranging comprises: merging the dummy pattern for the respective bucket in the dummy region for the respective bucket, with the integrated circuit design layout data for the respective bucket; and converting the dummy pattern and the integrated circuit design layout data for the plurality of buckets into mask data for patterning the region of the integrated circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the determining comprises: adding at least one guard band around the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit in the respective buckets, to thereby define a blocked region in the respective buckets; and defining the dummy region for a respective bucket as the respective bucket, except for the respective blocked region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the adjusting is preceded by selecting a dummy pattern for the respective bucket from a plurality of dummy patterns and wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a density of the dummy pattern for the respective bucket that is selected from the plurality of dummy patterns, as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
67 words
A system for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the system comprising: means for obtaining a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and means for adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
67 words
A system for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the system comprising: means for obtaining a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and means for adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system according to claim 11 wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for adjusting a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket according to a formula in which the density of the dummy pattern is continuously variable.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system according to claim 11 wherein the dummy pattern includes a plurality of features of fixed pitch and wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for increasing or decreasing a size of the features of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
A system according to claim 13 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise quadrangles of fixed pitch and wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for increasing or decreasing a length of at least one side of the quadrangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
90 words
A system according to claim 14 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise rectangles of fixed pitch and wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for increasing or decreasing a length of at least one side of the rectangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of a square root of a difference between the respective local pattern density and the target density for the region, multiplied by an area of the dummy pattern in the respective bucket, divided by a number of dummy patterns in the respective bucket.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
79 words
A system according to claim 11 further comprising: means for reading integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit from an integrated circuit design layout database; means for dividing the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit into the plurality of buckets; means for calculating the local pattern density for a respective one of the buckets; and means for determining a dummy region for a respective one of the buckets.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
A system according to claim 16 further comprising means for arranging the dummy pattern for the respective bucket, including the density that is a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region, in the dummy region for the respective one of the buckets.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
A system according to claim 17 wherein the means for arranging comprises: means for merging the dummy pattern for the respective bucket in the dummy region for the respective bucket, with the integrated circuit design layout data for the respective bucket; and means for converting the dummy pattern and the integrated circuit design layout data for the plurality of buckets into mask data for patterning the region of the integrated circuit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
69 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein the means for determining comprises: means for adding at least one guard band around the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit in the respective buckets, to thereby define a blocked region in the respective buckets; and means for defining the dummy region for a respective bucket as the respective bucket, except for the respective blocked region.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
71 words
A system according to claim 11 further comprising means for selecting a dummy pattern for the respective bucket from a plurality of dummy patterns and wherein the means for adjusting comprises means for adjusting a density of the dummy pattern for the respective bucket that is selected from the plurality of dummy patterns, as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
99 words
A computer program product for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable program code that is configured to obtain a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
99 words
A computer program product for generating dummy patterns for a region of an integrated circuit that is divided into a plurality of buckets, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable program code that is configured to obtain a local pattern density for a respective bucket; and computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
52 words
A computer program product according to claim 21 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust a density of a dummy pattern for the respective bucket according to a formula in which the density of the dummy pattern is continuously variable.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
68 words
A computer program product according to claim 21 wherein the dummy pattern includes a plurality of features of fixed pitch and wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to increase or decrease a size of the features of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
72 words
A computer program product according to claim 23 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise quadrangles of fixed pitch and wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to increase or decrease a length of at least one side of the quadrangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
102 words
A computer program product according to claim 24 wherein the features of fixed pitch comprise rectangles of fixed pitch and wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to increase or decrease a length of at least one side of the rectangles of fixed pitch as a continuously variable function of a square root of a difference between the respective local pattern density and the target density for the region, multiplied by an area of the dummy pattern in the respective bucket, divided by a number of dummy patterns in the respective bucket.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
101 words
A computer program product according to claim 21 further comprising: computer-readable program code that is configured to read integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit from an integrated circuit design layout database; computer-readable program code that is configured to divide the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit into the plurality of buckets; computer-readable program code that is configured to calculate the local pattern density for a respective one of the buckets; and computer-readable program code that is configured to determine a dummy region for a respective one of the buckets.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
58 words
A computer program product according to claim 26 further comprising computer-readable program code that is configured to arrange the dummy pattern for the respective bucket, including the density that is a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region, in the dummy region for the respective one of the buckets.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
88 words
A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to arrange comprises: computer-readable program code that is configured to merge the dummy pattern for the respective bucket in the dummy region for the respective bucket, with the integrated circuit design layout data for the respective bucket; and computer-readable program code that is configured to convert the dummy pattern and the integrated circuit design layout data for the plurality of buckets into mask data for patterning the region of the integrated circuit.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
86 words
A computer program product according to claim 26 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to determine comprises: computer-readable program code that is configured to add at least one guard band around the integrated circuit design layout data for the region of the integrated circuit in the respective buckets, to thereby define a blocked region in the respective buckets; and computer-readable program code that is configured to define the dummy region for a respective bucket as the respective bucket, except for the respective blocked region.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
88 words
A computer program product according to claim 21 further comprising computer-readable program code that is configured to select a dummy pattern for the respective bucket from a plurality of dummy patterns and wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to adjust a density of the dummy pattern for the respective bucket that is selected from the plurality of dummy patterns, as a continuously variable function of the respective local pattern density and a target density for the region.
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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) | 2006-05-19 | 2006-11-18 | 2007-05-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-05-19 | 2010-11-18 | 2011-05-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-05-19 | 2014-11-18 | 2015-05-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |