Considering the efficiency and veracity of rules based optical proximity correction (OPC),the importance of rules in rules based OPC is pointed out.And how to select,to construct and to apply more concise and practi...Considering the efficiency and veracity of rules based optical proximity correction (OPC),the importance of rules in rules based OPC is pointed out.And how to select,to construct and to apply more concise and practical rules base is disscussed.Based on those ideas,four primary rules are suggested.Some data resulted in rules base are shown in table.The patterns on wafer are clearly improved by applying these rules to correct mask.OPCL,the automatic construction of the rules base is an important part of the whole rules based OPC system.展开更多
The shrinking of the size of the advanced technological nodes brings up new challenges to the semiconductor manufacturing community.The optical proximity correction(OPC)is invented to reduce the errors of the lithogra...The shrinking of the size of the advanced technological nodes brings up new challenges to the semiconductor manufacturing community.The optical proximity correction(OPC)is invented to reduce the errors of the lithographic process.The conventional OPC techniques rely on the empirical models and optimization methods of iterative type.Both the accuracy and computing speed of the existing OPC techniques need to be improved to fulfill the stringent requirement of the research and design for latest technological nodes.The emergence of machine learning technologies inspires novel OPC algorithms.More accurate forward simulation of the lithographic process and single turn optimization methods are enabled by the machine learning based OPC techniques.We discuss the latest progress made by the OPC community in the process simulation and optimization based on machine learning techniques.展开更多
With the continued shrinking of the critical dimensions(CDs)of wafer patterning,the requirements for modeling precision in optical proximity correction(OPC)increase accordingly.This requirement extends beyond CD contr...With the continued shrinking of the critical dimensions(CDs)of wafer patterning,the requirements for modeling precision in optical proximity correction(OPC)increase accordingly.This requirement extends beyond CD controlling accuracy to include pattern alignment accuracy because misalignment can lead to considerable overlay and metal-via coverage issues at advanced nodes,affecting process window and yield.This paper proposes an efficient OPC modeling approach that prioritizes pattern-shift-related elements to tackle the issue accurately.Our method integrates careful measurement selection,the implementation of pattern-shift-aware structures in design,and the manipulation of the cost function during model tuning to establish a robust model.Confirmatory experiments are performed on a via layer fabricated using a negative tone development.Results demonstrate that pattern shifts can be constrained within a range of+1 nm,remarkably better than the original range of±3 nm.Furthermore,simulations reveal notable differences between post OPC and original masks when considering pattern shifts at locations sensitive to this phenomenon.Experimental validation confirms the accuracy of the proposed modeling approach,and a firm consistency is observed between the simulation results and experimental data obtained from actual design structures.展开更多
Optical proximity correction (OPC) is a key step in modern integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing.The quality of model-based OPC (MB-OPC) is directly determined by segment offsets after OPC processing.However,in conven...Optical proximity correction (OPC) is a key step in modern integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing.The quality of model-based OPC (MB-OPC) is directly determined by segment offsets after OPC processing.However,in conventional MB-OPC,the intensity of a control site is adjusted only by the movement of its corresponding segment;this scheme is no longer accurate enough as the lithography process advances.On the other hand,matrix MB-OPC is too time-consuming to become practical.In this paper,we propose a new sparse matrix MB-OPC algorithm with model-based mapping between segments and control sites.We put forward the concept of 'sensitive area'.When the Jacobian matrix used in the matrix MB-OPC is evaluated,only the elements that correspond to the segments in the sensitive area of every control site need to be calculated,while the others can be set to 0.The new algorithm can effectively improve the sparsity of the Jacobian matrix,and hence reduce the computations.Both theoretical analysis and experiments show that the sparse matrix MB-OPC with model-based mapping is more accurate than conventional MB-OPC,and much faster than matrix MB-OPC while maintaining high accuracy.展开更多
Photolithography has been a major enabler for the continuous shrink of the semiconductor manufacturing design rules.Throughout the years of the development of the photolithography,many new technologies have been inven...Photolithography has been a major enabler for the continuous shrink of the semiconductor manufacturing design rules.Throughout the years of the development of the photolithography,many new technologies have been invented and successfully implemented,such as image projection lithography,chemically amplified photoresist,phase shifting mask,optical proximity modeling and correction,etc.From 0.25μm technology to the current 7 nm technology,the linewidth has been shrunk from 250 nm to about 20 nm,or 12.5 times.Although imaging resolution is proportional to the illumination wavelength,with the new technologies,the wavelength has only been shrunk from 248 nm to 134.7 nm(193 nm immersion in water),less than 2 times.Would it mean that the imaging performance has been continuously declining?Or we have yet fully utilized the potential of the photolithography technology?In this paper,we will present a study on the key parameters and process window performance of the image projection photolithography from 0.25μm node to the current 7 nm node.展开更多
Optical proximity correction (OPC) systems require an accurate and fast way to predict how patterns will be transferred to the wafer.Based on Gabor's 'reduction to principal waves',a partially coherent ima...Optical proximity correction (OPC) systems require an accurate and fast way to predict how patterns will be transferred to the wafer.Based on Gabor's 'reduction to principal waves',a partially coherent imaging system can be represented as a superposition of coherent imaging systems,so an accurate and fast sparse aerial image intensity calculation algorithm for lithography simulation is presented based on convolution kernels,which also include simulating the lateral diffusion and some mask processing effects via Gaussian filter.The simplicity of this model leads to substantial computational and analytical benefits.Efficiency of this method is also shown through simulation results.展开更多
文摘Considering the efficiency and veracity of rules based optical proximity correction (OPC),the importance of rules in rules based OPC is pointed out.And how to select,to construct and to apply more concise and practical rules base is disscussed.Based on those ideas,four primary rules are suggested.Some data resulted in rules base are shown in table.The patterns on wafer are clearly improved by applying these rules to correct mask.OPCL,the automatic construction of the rules base is an important part of the whole rules based OPC system.
基金by National Science and Technology Major Project of China(2017ZX02315001-003,2017ZX02101004-003)National Natural Science Foundation of China(61874002,61804174),Beijing Natural Fund(4182021).
文摘The shrinking of the size of the advanced technological nodes brings up new challenges to the semiconductor manufacturing community.The optical proximity correction(OPC)is invented to reduce the errors of the lithographic process.The conventional OPC techniques rely on the empirical models and optimization methods of iterative type.Both the accuracy and computing speed of the existing OPC techniques need to be improved to fulfill the stringent requirement of the research and design for latest technological nodes.The emergence of machine learning technologies inspires novel OPC algorithms.More accurate forward simulation of the lithographic process and single turn optimization methods are enabled by the machine learning based OPC techniques.We discuss the latest progress made by the OPC community in the process simulation and optimization based on machine learning techniques.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52130504,52305577,and 52205592)the Key Research and Development Plan of Hubei Province,China(Grant No.2022BAA013)+2 种基金the Major Program(JD)of Hubei Province,China(Grant No.2023BAA008-2)the Innovation Projection of Optics Valley Laboratory,China(Grant No.OVL2023PY003)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program(Grade B)of the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.GZB20230244).
文摘With the continued shrinking of the critical dimensions(CDs)of wafer patterning,the requirements for modeling precision in optical proximity correction(OPC)increase accordingly.This requirement extends beyond CD controlling accuracy to include pattern alignment accuracy because misalignment can lead to considerable overlay and metal-via coverage issues at advanced nodes,affecting process window and yield.This paper proposes an efficient OPC modeling approach that prioritizes pattern-shift-related elements to tackle the issue accurately.Our method integrates careful measurement selection,the implementation of pattern-shift-aware structures in design,and the manipulation of the cost function during model tuning to establish a robust model.Confirmatory experiments are performed on a via layer fabricated using a negative tone development.Results demonstrate that pattern shifts can be constrained within a range of+1 nm,remarkably better than the original range of±3 nm.Furthermore,simulations reveal notable differences between post OPC and original masks when considering pattern shifts at locations sensitive to this phenomenon.Experimental validation confirms the accuracy of the proposed modeling approach,and a firm consistency is observed between the simulation results and experimental data obtained from actual design structures.
文摘Optical proximity correction (OPC) is a key step in modern integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing.The quality of model-based OPC (MB-OPC) is directly determined by segment offsets after OPC processing.However,in conventional MB-OPC,the intensity of a control site is adjusted only by the movement of its corresponding segment;this scheme is no longer accurate enough as the lithography process advances.On the other hand,matrix MB-OPC is too time-consuming to become practical.In this paper,we propose a new sparse matrix MB-OPC algorithm with model-based mapping between segments and control sites.We put forward the concept of 'sensitive area'.When the Jacobian matrix used in the matrix MB-OPC is evaluated,only the elements that correspond to the segments in the sensitive area of every control site need to be calculated,while the others can be set to 0.The new algorithm can effectively improve the sparsity of the Jacobian matrix,and hence reduce the computations.Both theoretical analysis and experiments show that the sparse matrix MB-OPC with model-based mapping is more accurate than conventional MB-OPC,and much faster than matrix MB-OPC while maintaining high accuracy.
文摘Photolithography has been a major enabler for the continuous shrink of the semiconductor manufacturing design rules.Throughout the years of the development of the photolithography,many new technologies have been invented and successfully implemented,such as image projection lithography,chemically amplified photoresist,phase shifting mask,optical proximity modeling and correction,etc.From 0.25μm technology to the current 7 nm technology,the linewidth has been shrunk from 250 nm to about 20 nm,or 12.5 times.Although imaging resolution is proportional to the illumination wavelength,with the new technologies,the wavelength has only been shrunk from 248 nm to 134.7 nm(193 nm immersion in water),less than 2 times.Would it mean that the imaging performance has been continuously declining?Or we have yet fully utilized the potential of the photolithography technology?In this paper,we will present a study on the key parameters and process window performance of the image projection photolithography from 0.25μm node to the current 7 nm node.
文摘Optical proximity correction (OPC) systems require an accurate and fast way to predict how patterns will be transferred to the wafer.Based on Gabor's 'reduction to principal waves',a partially coherent imaging system can be represented as a superposition of coherent imaging systems,so an accurate and fast sparse aerial image intensity calculation algorithm for lithography simulation is presented based on convolution kernels,which also include simulating the lateral diffusion and some mask processing effects via Gaussian filter.The simplicity of this model leads to substantial computational and analytical benefits.Efficiency of this method is also shown through simulation results.
