Method of merging color sets of layout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8943445-B2
Application number	US-201314104279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Feb 9, 2010
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

A method includes determining one or more potential merges corresponding to a color set A i and a color set A j of N color sets, represented by A 1 to A N , used in coloring polygons of a layout of an integrated circuit. N is a positive integer, i and j are integers from 1 to N, and i≠j. One or more potential cuts corresponding to the color set A i and the second color set A j are determined. An index A ij is determined according to the one or more potential merges and the one or more potential cuts. A plurality of parameters F related to the index A ij is obtained based on various values of indices f i and f j . A parameter F is selected among the plurality of parameters F based on a definition of the index A ij .

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
determining one or more potential merges corresponding to a color set A i and a color set A j of N color sets, represented by A 1 to A N , used in coloring polygons of a layout of an integrated circuit, N being a positive integer, i and j being integers from 1 to N, and i≠j;
determining one or more potential cuts corresponding to the color set A i and the second color set A j ;
determining an index A ij according to the one or more potential merges and the one or more potential cuts, where A ij =A ji ;
obtaining, by a computer, a plurality of parameters F related to the index A ij based on various values of indices f i and f j ; and
selecting a parameter F among the plurality of parameters F based on a definition of the index A ij .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the index f i includes a value of 1 or −1.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the parameter F among the plurality of parameters F having a highest value if the index A ij is defined as a number of the one or more potential merges M minus a number of the one or more potential cuts CT, and selecting the parameter F among the plurality of parameters F having a lowest value if the index A ij is defined as the number of the one or more potential cuts CT minus the number of the one or more potential merges M.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the number of the one or more potential merges M and the number of the one or more potential cuts CT corresponding to the color set A i and the color set A j are determined when f i and f j are assigned 1.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the plurality of parameters

F
⁡

(

f
1

,

f
2

,

…
⁢

⁢

f
N

)

=

1
2

⁢

∑

i
,
j

N

⁢

⁢

f
i

⁢

f
j

⁢

A
ij

F is based on the equation.

6. The method of claim 1 , further merging a terminal color set to a color set that interacts with the terminal color set.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the index A ij includes a weighting value based on one or a combination of a stitch shape, a location of stitch elements, a symmetrical pattern, or a user's defined choice.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the index A ij is represented by

A
ij

=

∑

s
=
1

T

⁢

⁢

W
s

⁢

P

i
,
s

⁢

P

j
,
s

where
T is a number of common stitch elements between the color set A i and the color set A j ;
W s is a weighting value of an s-th stitch element;
P i,s is a color index of polygon in the color set A i connected with the s-th stitch element; and
P j,s is a color index of polygon in the color set A j connected with the s-th stitch element.

9. A method comprising:
determining one or more potential merges corresponding to a color set A i and a color set A j of N color sets, represented by A 1 to A N , used in coloring polygons of a layout of an integrated circuit, N being a positive integer, i and j being integers from 1 to N, and i≠j;
determining one or more potential cuts corresponding to the color set A i and the second color set A j ;
determining an index A ij according to the one or more potential merges and the one or more potential cuts, where A ij =A ji ;
based on the equation

C
i

=

∑
j
N

⁢

⁢

f
i

⁢

f
j

⁢

A
ij

for the color set A i calculating, by a computer, a plurality of C i , wherein index f i corresponds to the color set A i , and index f j corresponds to the color set A j ; and
based on the plurality of C i , determining a color set configuration corresponding to a least number of polygons to be cut.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a C j among the plurality of C i having a lowest value;
if C j <0, then flipping an index f j to a negative number; and
recalculating

C
i

=

∑
j
N

⁢

⁢

f
i

⁢

f
j

⁢

A
ij

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg

Inventors

• Chen Pi-Tsung
• Chih Ming-Hui
• Hsieh Ken-Hsien
• Wang wei-long
• Huang Wen-Chun
• Liu Ru-Gun
• Gau Tsai-Sheng
• YANG Wen-ju
• Chang Gwan Sin
• Yen Yung-Sung

Classifications

• G06F30/398 Primary

  Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] (optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36) · CPC title

• G06F17/5081 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic