Calculation method for generating layout pattern in photomask

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8954919-B1
Application number	US-201314069391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 1, 2013
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Feb 10, 2015
Grant date	Feb 10, 2015

Abstract

A calculation method for generating a layout pattern in a photomask includes at least the following steps. A two-dimensional design layout including several geometric patterns distributed in a plane is provided to a computer system. The computer system is used to mark portions of the geometric patterns and generate at least one marked geometric pattern and at least one non-marked geometric pattern. The marked geometric pattern is then simulated and corrected by the computer system so as to generate a 3-D design layout. Through the simulation and correction, the marked geometric pattern and the non-marked geometric pattern are arranged alternately along an axis orthogonal to the plane. The 3-D design layout is outputted to a mask-making system afterwards.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A calculation method for generating a layout pattern in a photomask, comprising:
providing a computer system having a computer readable storage device;
providing a two-dimensional (2-D) design layout to the computer system, wherein the 2-D design layout comprises a plurality of geometric patterns distributed in a plane;
marking portions of the geometric patterns to generate at least one marked geometric pattern and at least one non-marked geometric pattern;
moving the marked geometric pattern along an axis orthogonal to the plane so as to convert the 2-D design layout to a three-dimensional (3-D) design layout, wherein the marked geometric pattern and the non-marked geometric pattern of the 3-D design layout are arranged alternately along the axis orthogonal to the plane; and
outputting the 3-D design layout to a mask-making system.

2. The method according to claim 1 , before providing the 2-D design layout, furthering comprising:
providing a 3-D circuit design to another computer system; and
translating the 3-D circuit design into the 2-D design layout.

3. The method according to claim 1 , during marking the portions of the geometric patterns, further comprising:
considering a plurality of factors affecting dimensions and shapes of corresponding geometric patterns to be translated to a layer over a substrate; and
marking the portions of the geometric patterns in terms of the factors.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the factors comprise densities of patterns, shapes of patterns, film thickness uniformity, and substrate topography.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the marked geometric patterns and the non-marked geometric patterns are further defined with bottom boundaries and top boundaries after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the bottom boundary of the marked geometric pattern is spaced apart from the top boundary of the non-marked geometric pattern along the axis after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the bottom boundary of the marked geometric pattern is aligned with the top boundary of the non-marked geometric pattern along the axis after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least two of the marked geometric patterns have an equal axis value after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least two of the non-marked geometric patterns have an equal axis value after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-marked geometric pattern and the marked geometric pattern respectively have a first axis value and a second axis value, and the first axis value and a second axis value are not equal.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marked geometric pattern is spaced apart from the non-marked geometric pattern.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 3-D design layout is distributed in a 3-D space.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mask-making system is a 3-D printing system.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first marked geometric pattern is spaced apart from the second marked geometric pattern after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the marked geometric patterns comprise at least one first marked geometric pattern and at least one second marked geometric pattern, and the first marked geometric pattern and the second marked geometric pattern are arranged alternately along the axis after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein each of the marked geometric patterns and the non-marked geometric patterns are further defined with bottom boundaries and top boundaries after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the bottom of the first marked geometric pattern is spaced apart from the top of the second marked geometric pattern along the axis after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the bottom boundary of the first marked geometric pattern is aligned with the top boundary of the non-marked geometric pattern along the axis after calculating the marked geometric pattern.

19. A method for forming a pattern on a substrate, comprising fabricating a photomask including the 3-D design layout according to claim 1 .

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising transferring the 3-D design layout from the photomask into a layer on the substrate.

Assignees

• United Microelectronics Corp

Inventors

• Liou En-Chiuan
• Lee Sho-Shen
• Huang Wen-Liang
• Wang chang-mao
• Chuang Kai-Lin
• Huang Yu-Chin

Classifications

• G06F17/50 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G03F1/70 Primary

  Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging · CPC title