
Proceedings Paper
Optimization of OPC runtime using efficient optical simulationFormat | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
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Paper Abstract
Model-Based Optical Proximity Correction (MBOPC) is now found in nearly all resolution enhancement recipes
used in leading technology integrated circuit fabrication facilities. Many masks now have critical dimensions less
than the exposure wavelength, which results in light diffraction that distorts the image projected onto the wafer. The
industry is relying more and more on MBOPC to compensate for optical effects that are induced during the exposure
of these masks. The MBOPC operation is usually the highest computational time contributor in the RET flow.
MBOPC procedures include the fragmentation of layout edges longer than a specific value into a number of sub-edges
(fragments). The software engine can move and manipulate each fragment to improve the image transferred to
the wafer. In the sparse MBOPC approach, each fragment receives one or more optical simulation sites, which is a
one-dimensional array of points where light intensity is sampled and calculated. To correctly capture the resist
behavior at each simulation site, there must be enough points to ensure extension of the site to a certain distance
from the fragment. Adding more points beyond this distance does not add any benefit, but can significantly increase
the runtime.
This paper presents an automated method that analyzes layouts for different technology nodes that depend on sparse
simulations as their MBOPC engine, and reports the optimized number of simulation points that need to be in the
simulation site to get the desired accuracy and optimum runtime performance.
Paper Details
Date Published: 30 October 2007
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6730, Photomask Technology 2007, 67302T (30 October 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.746608
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6730:
Photomask Technology 2007
Robert J. Naber; Hiroichi Kawahira, Editor(s)
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6730, Photomask Technology 2007, 67302T (30 October 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.746608
Show Author Affiliations
Mohamed Al-Imam, Mentor Graphics Corp. (Egypt)
Walid A. Tawfic, Mentor Graphics Corp. (Egypt)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6730:
Photomask Technology 2007
Robert J. Naber; Hiroichi Kawahira, Editor(s)
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