Disclosure of Invention
The application aims to provide a method for acquiring a sub-resolution auxiliary pattern, which solves the problem that the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is easy to be exposed and developed on a substrate due to the fact that the distance between the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern and a corrected main pattern is too small after optical proximity correction, so that the product yield is reduced.
In order to solve the technical problems, the application is realized by the following technical scheme:
the application provides a method for acquiring a sub-resolution auxiliary graph, which at least comprises the following steps:
providing an integrated circuit layout, wherein the integrated circuit layout comprises a plurality of first patterns and first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns; the plurality of first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns are arranged on the periphery of the plurality of first patterns, and a minimum distance is reserved between the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns and the first patterns;
performing optical proximity correction on the first graph to obtain a plurality of second graphs;
dividing the first sub-resolution auxiliary graph into a plurality of sub-graphs along the direction perpendicular to the second graph to obtain a second sub-resolution auxiliary graph, wherein a first distance is arranged between every two adjacent sub-graphs;
moving the sub-graph to the second graph for a second distance, and acquiring an edge position placement error of a simulation contour of the second graph optical model relative to the first graph;
adjusting the first distance and the second distance to obtain a minimum edge position placement error of the simulated contour of the second graph optical model relative to the first graph;
and obtaining an optimal second sub-resolution auxiliary graph through the minimum edge position placement error.
In one embodiment of the application, the simulated contour of the second graphical optical model has a first error in a horizontal direction with respect to the first graph and the simulated contour of the second graphical optical model has a second error in a vertical direction with respect to the first graph.
In one embodiment of the application, the second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern includes two sub-patterns.
In one embodiment of the present application, the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is rectangular, and the sub-pattern is divided along a long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern.
In one embodiment of the present application, the first distance is adjusted to be in a range of 0 to a length of a long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern.
In one embodiment of the present application, the adjustment interval of the first distance is 0 to the length of the long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern.
In one embodiment of the present application, the second distance is adjusted to a range from 0 to a distance of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern from the second pattern.
In one embodiment of the present application, the second distance is adjusted by a distance from 0 to the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern to the second pattern.
In one embodiment of the application, the first error and the second error are obtained as a function of the first distance and the second distance.
In one embodiment of the application, a minimum edge placement error is obtained based on the root mean square of the first error and the second error.
The application divides the whole first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern adjacent to the pattern to be corrected, namely the first pattern, into a plurality of sections with gaps in the middle, and solves the problem that the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is easy to be exposed and developed on a substrate due to the fact that the distance between the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern and the corrected main pattern is too small after optical proximity correction due to the existence of the gaps, so that the product yield is reduced.
Of course, it is not necessary for any one product to practice the application to achieve all of the advantages set forth above at the same time.
Detailed Description
The following description of the embodiments of the present application will be made clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is apparent that the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the application without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the application.
The sub-resolution auxiliary pattern added on the main pattern based on the rule, such as the addition of the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern based on the rule of 55nm-90nm, after optical proximity correction, the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is exposed and developed on a wafer for example due to the fact that the distance between the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern and the corrected main pattern is too small, and the scattering body is easier to be exposed and developed on the wafer due to the superposition of the intensity of light when being close to the target pattern, so that the product yield is reduced.
Referring to fig. 1, the present application provides a method for obtaining a sub-resolution auxiliary graph, which at least includes the following steps:
s1, providing an integrated circuit layout, wherein the integrated circuit layout comprises a plurality of first patterns and first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns; the plurality of first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns are arranged on the periphery of the plurality of first patterns, and a minimum distance is reserved between the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns and the first patterns;
s2, performing optical proximity correction on the first patterns to obtain a plurality of second patterns;
s3, dividing the first sub-resolution auxiliary graph into a plurality of sub-graphs along the direction perpendicular to the second graph to obtain a second sub-resolution auxiliary graph, wherein a first distance is arranged between every two adjacent sub-graphs;
s4, moving the sub-graph to the second graph for a second distance, and obtaining an edge position placement error of the simulation contour of the second graph optical model relative to the first graph;
s5, adjusting the first distance and the second distance, and obtaining a minimum edge position placement error of the simulation contour of the second graph optical model relative to the first graph;
s6, obtaining an optimal second sub-resolution auxiliary graph through the minimum edge position placement error.
Referring to fig. 2 to 4, in step S1 and step S2, an integrated circuit layout 1 is provided, wherein the integrated circuit layout 1 includes a plurality of first patterns 10 and first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20, the plurality of first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20 are disposed on the periphery of the plurality of first patterns 10, and a minimum distance is provided between the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20 and the first patterns 10. The second pattern 50 is a pattern obtained by performing model-based optical proximity correction. Model-based optical proximity correction refers herein to creating an optical model and then simulating the exposure results of the original pattern. The first pattern 10 is a pattern of isolated or sparsely distributed patterns. By adding the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20, the process window of the part of the isolated or sparsely distributed pattern can be matched with the process window of the dense pattern, the focusing depth of the part of the isolated or sparsely distributed pattern is increased, the requirement of imaging process parameters is reduced, and the exposure accuracy is improved.
Referring to fig. 2 to 4, in step S1 and step S2, the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 includes two stripe sub-resolution auxiliary patterns, for example, a first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 and a second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 22, which are disposed at the periphery of the first pattern 10, respectively, and the addition rule is 55-90-40-225, for example, the width of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 adjacent to the first pattern 10, i.e., having the smallest distance from the first pattern 10 is 55nm, the distance between the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 and the first pattern 10 is 90nm, the width of the second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 22 far from the first pattern 10 is 40nm, and the distance between the second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 22 and the first pattern 10 is 225 nm, for example. In this embodiment, the minimum distance is, for example, the distance between the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 and the first pattern 10. After the optical proximity correction is performed on the first pattern 10, a plurality of second patterns 50 are obtained, the second patterns 50 become larger than the first patterns 10, and the positions of the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20 are unchanged, so that the second patterns 50 are closer to the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20, for example, 47nm, and at the minimum distance, the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20 are exposed and developed on, for example, a wafer due to the fact that the light intensity is superimposed, and the closer the scatterer is to the target pattern, the easier the first sub-resolution auxiliary patterns 20 are exposed and developed on the wafer.
Referring to fig. 5 and 6, in step S3, the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 is divided into a plurality of sub-patterns 30 along a direction perpendicular to the second pattern 50, so as to obtain a second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 40, wherein a first distance is provided between adjacent sub-patterns 30. In this embodiment, the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 having the smallest distance from the second pattern 50 is divided into a plurality of sub-patterns 30 along the direction perpendicular to the second pattern 50, specifically, for example, the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 is divided into, for example, 2 sub-patterns 30, and a first distance a is provided between adjacent sub-patterns 30.
Referring to fig. 6 to 11, in step S4 and step S5, the sub-graph 30 is moved to the second graph 50 by a second distance, and an edge position placement error of the simulated outline 60 of the optical model of the second graph 50 relative to the first graph 10 is obtained; by adjusting the first distance and the second distance, a minimum edge position placement error of the simulated outline 60 of the optical model of the second graphic 50 relative to the first graphic 10 is obtained. In this embodiment, the sub-graphic 30 is moved toward the second graphic 50 by a second distance b, and the range of the second distance b is set by a person. Specifically, the first distance a may be fixed first, and the second distance b that the sub-graph 30 moves towards the second graph 50 may be adjusted, so as to obtain the edge position placement errors of the simulated outlines 60 of the optical models of the second graph 50 relative to the first graph 10. The second distance b may be fixed first, and then the first distances a between the plurality of sub-patterns 30 may be adjusted, so as to obtain the edge position placement errors of the simulated outlines 60 of the plurality of optical models of the second pattern 50 relative to the first pattern 10. By adjusting the first distance a and the second distance b, a minimum edge position placement error of the simulated outline 60 of the optical model of the second pattern 50 with respect to the first pattern 10 is finally obtained.
The first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 is rectangular, and the sub-pattern 30 is divided along the long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21. The value range of the first distance a is, for example, 0 to the length of the long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21, particularly, for example, 1 to 20nm, the value range of the second distance b is, for example, 0 to the distance of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21 from the second pattern 50, particularly, for example, 0 to 25nm, the adjustment interval of the first distance a is, for example, 0 to the length of the long side of the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 21, particularly, the adjustment interval of the first distance a is, for example, 0.5nm, the adjustment interval of the second distance b is, for example, 0 to 5nm, particularly, the adjustment interval of the second distance b is, for example, 1nm. Specifically, when the optical model is brought into the second pattern 50, the optical model generates a simulated contour 60 according to the second pattern 50, the simulated contour 60 of the optical model of the second pattern 50 has a first error X in the horizontal direction with respect to the first pattern 10, and the simulated contour 60 of the optical model of the second pattern 50 has a second error Y in the vertical direction with respect to the first pattern 10, as shown in table 1, (1)X is the first error X in the horizontal direction between the simulated contour 60 generated by pattern (1) and pattern (1), and 1)Y is the second error Y in the vertical direction between the simulated contour 60 generated by pattern (1) and pattern (1). (1) 0X is a first error X in the horizontal direction of the simulated contour 60 generated by pattern (1)1) and pattern (2), and 2)Y is a second error Y in the vertical direction of the simulated contour 60 generated by pattern (2) and pattern (2). The first distance a and the second distance b are adjusted to obtain a plurality of groups of first errors X and second errors Y, and then the corresponding edge position placement errors are obtained through the values of each group of first errors X and second errors Y, wherein the edge placement errors are differences between the edges of the exposed photoresist pattern simulated by the photoetching software and the design pattern, and in the embodiment, the edge placement errors can be represented by root mean square, for example, the root mean square can be obtained through the following formula:
wherein X is the first error of the newly generated graphic simulation contour and the original graphic along the horizontal direction, and Y is the second error of the newly generated graphic simulation contour and the original graphic along the vertical direction.
In the present embodiment, the minimum edge position placement error is selected among all the edge position placement errors.
In other embodiments, the edge placement error may be represented by other ways, and the method for representing the edge placement error is not limited in the present application.
TABLE 1
Referring to table 1, in step S6, an optimal second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is obtained through the minimum edge position placement error RMS. Specifically, the optimal values of the first distance a and the second distance b of the corresponding second sub-resolution auxiliary patterns are obtained through the minimum edge position placement error RMS, so that the second sub-resolution auxiliary patterns with optimal patterns (1) and (2) are obtained, and then the subsequent process procedures such as exposure development and the like are carried out by utilizing the optimal second sub-resolution auxiliary patterns.
Referring to table 1, more specifically, for a second sub-resolution auxiliary pattern, for example, let a=1nm, b=1nm, a simulated contour 60 of the second pattern 50 is generated by the optical model, and a first error X and a second error Y between the simulated contour 60 and the first pattern 10 are calculated, and an edge position placement error is calculated by the first error X and the second error Y. Similarly, let a=1nm and b=2nm, the simulated contour 60 of the second pattern 50 is generated by the optical model, and the first error X and the second error Y between the simulated contour 60 and the first pattern 10 are calculated, and the edge position placement error is calculated by the first error X and the second error Y. Let a=1nm, b=3nm, generate the simulated contour 60 of the second pattern 50 by the optical model, and calculate the first error X and the second error Y between the simulated contour 60 and the first pattern 10, and calculate the edge position placement error by the first error X and the second error Y. Let a=10nm, b=1nm, generate the simulated contour 60 of the second pattern 50 by the optical model, and calculate the first error X and the second error Y between the simulated contour 60 and the first pattern 10, and calculate the edge position placement error by the first error X and the second error Y. Let a=10nm, b=2nm, generate the simulated contour 60 of the second pattern 50 by the optical model, and calculate the first error X and the second error Y between the simulated contour 60 and the first pattern 10, and calculate the edge position placement error by the first error X and the second error Y. Wherein the value range of a and b and the interval of each value can be set manually, for example, the value range of a can be set to be 1-20nm, the interval is 0.5nm, the value range of b is 0-25nm, and the interval is 1nm.
As shown in table 1, the minimum edge position placement error is selected from all the edge position placement errors, and the combination of the first distance a and the second distance b is obtained through the minimum edge position placement error, and the sub-resolution auxiliary graph corresponding to the combination of the first distance a and the second distance b is the optimal second sub-resolution auxiliary graph. Table 1 shows, for example, that for pattern (1), the best a, b is, for example, 10,3, and for pattern (2), the best a, b is, for example, 10,4.
TABLE 2
Referring to table 2, the effect of each regimen was analyzed by comparing comparative examples a to D with inventive example E. Wherein comparative example a is to delete the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 having a developing risk, comparative example B is to retreat the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 having a developing risk by 10nm, comparative example C is to change the distance between the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 and the first pattern 10 from 90nm to 100nm, then to rerun the optical proximity correction method, comparative example D is to change the distance between the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 and the first pattern 10 by 110nm, and to rerun the optical proximity correction method, and comparative example E is an embodiment of the present application.
Referring to table 2, wherein TTL RMS refers to the integrated edge placement error of the pattern (1) and the pattern (2), SB printing refers to whether the first sub-resolution auxiliary pattern 20 is exposed to the wafer in the two cases of "Normal dose" and "Over dose 10%", respectively, "Normal dose" refers to the Normal exposure energy, "Over dose" refers to the exposure energy increased by 10%, process window refers to the exposure Process window, and "DOF at 8% em" refers to the range of focus values where the exposure energy latitude is 8%, respectively, the larger the focus value range is, the larger the Process window is.
Referring to table 2, it can be seen from the results in table 2 that the technical solution of the present application can obtain a better process window while keeping a lower edge placement error, and more importantly, the technical solution of the present application only changes the place where the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is easy to develop, without affecting the process window in other places. The technical scheme of the application is particularly suitable for adding the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern based on the rule of 55nm-90nm, and can solve the problem that the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is easy to be exposed and developed on a substrate due to the fact that the sub-resolution auxiliary pattern is too close after the optical proximity effect is corrected.
In the description of the present specification, the descriptions of the terms "one embodiment," "example," "specific example," and the like, mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.
The above disclosed alternative embodiments of the application are merely intended to help illustrate the application. The preferred embodiments are not exhaustive or to limit the application to the precise form disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the application and the practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best understand and utilize the application. The application is limited only by the claims and the full scope and equivalents thereof.