Method of determining device type and device properties and system of performing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632428-B2
Application number	US-201514607710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method of determining a device type and device properties includes receiving an input file including information related to a device, and identifying at least one layer set within the input file. The method further includes identifying at least one feature present in layer set. The method further includes analyzing a relationship between the at least one feature formed by the first layer and at least one feature formed by the second layer to determine at least one layer set relationship. The method further includes comparing the layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship. The method further includes determining the device type of the device based on the comparison between the layer set relationship and the template layer set relationship. The method further includes determining the device properties of the device based on the layer set relationship, the device type or the at least one feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining a device type and device properties, the method comprising:
receiving an input file, the input file comprising information related to a device;
identifying at least one layer set within the input file, the at least one layer set comprising at least a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is different from the second layer;
identifying at least one feature present in at least one of the first layer or the second layer;
analyzing, using a processor, a relationship between the at least one feature formed by the first layer and at least one feature formed by the second layer to determine at least one layer set relationship;
comparing the determined at least one layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship;
determining the device type of the device based on the comparison between the at least one layer set relationship and the at least one template layer set relationship; and
determining the device properties of the device based on at least one of the at least one layer set relationship, the device type or the at least one feature, wherein the determined device properties help to increase a speed of analysis of the input file.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an output file based on the device type and the device properties, wherein the output file is readable by design tools.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the output file comprises generating a text file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the relationship of the least one feature between the first layer and the second layer comprises:
performing first operations to determine the presence and relative position of the at least one feature within the first layer;
performing second operations to determine the presence and relative position of the at least one feature within the second layer; and
combining results of the first operations with results of the second operations.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the first operations comprises:
determining whether the at least one feature is fully separated from a second feature present in at least one of the first layer or the second layer;
determining whether the at least one feature is separate from the second feature, but touching the second feature;
determining whether the at least one feature overlaps with the second feature;
determining whether the at least one feature encloses the second feature; and
determining whether the second feature encloses the at least one feature.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the first operations comprises:
performing Boolean logic operations to determine the presence of the at least one feature in the first layer and the second layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined at least one layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship comprises:
comparing the at least one layer set relationship with the at least one template layer set relationship stored in a device database, wherein the at least one template layer set relationship is associated with a known device type.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined at least one layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship comprises:
identifying a characteristic template layer set relationship unique to a known device type; and
comparing the at least one layer set relationship with the characteristic template layer set relationship.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined at least one layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship comprises:
comparing each layer set relationship of the at least one layer set relationship with each template layer set relationship of the at least one template layer set relationship.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined at least one layer set relationship with at least one template layer set relationship comprises:
ceasing comparing the at least one layer set relationship with the at least one template layer set relationship once the device type is identified.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the input file comprises receiving a graphics file.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the graphics file comprises receiving a graphical design system (GDS) file.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a simulation of the device in the input file;
comparing results of the simulation with the determined device properties.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least one of the device type or the device properties.

15. A system for determining a device type and device properties, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium connected to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions for:
identifying a plurality of layer sets within an input file, wherein the input file comprises information related to a device, and a layer set of the plurality of layer sets comprising at least two layers, and the at least two layers are different from each other;
identifying at least one feature present in at least one layer a layer set of the plurality of layer sets;
analyzing a relationship between the at least one feature formed by the first layer and at least one feature formed by the second layer to determine at least one layer set relationship;
comparing at least one determined layer set relationship of the plurality of layer set relationships with at least one template layer set relationship;
determining the device type of the device based on the comparison between the at least one layer set relationship of the plurality of layer set relationships and the at least one template layer set relationship; and
determining the device properties of the device based on at least one of the plurality of layer set relationships, the device type or the at least one feature, wherein the determined device properties help to increase a speed of analysis of the input file.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a device database configured to store the at least one template layer set relationship, wherein the device database is connected to at least one of the processor or the computer readable medium.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to compare less than all layer set relationships of the plurality of layer set relationships with the at least one template layer set relationship.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an electronic design automation (EDA) tool configured to store each layer set relationship of the plurality of layer set relationships, and to determine a number of layers in the input file.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions for identifying at least one layer set of the plurality of layer sets, wherein at a first layer of the at least one layer set is separated from a second layer of the at least one layer set by a third layer.

20. A system for determining a device type and device properties, the system comprising:
a processor;
an interface configured to receive an input file, the input file comprising information related to a device having a plurality of layers, wherein the interface is connected to the processor; and
a device database configured to store at least one template layer set relationship, the at least o

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang ya-min
• Huang Mu-Jen
• Feng Ming
• Chen Peng-Sheng
• Sun li-qun

Classifications

• G06F30/13

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title

• G06F30/394

  Routing (G06F30/396 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F30/39

  Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347) · CPC title

• G06F30/398

  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

• G03F7/70433 Primary

  Layout for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors, e.g. layout of exposure fields for reducing focus errors; Use of mask features for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors · CPC title