JP3181372B2 - Sizing processing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sizing method for mask pattern CAD data performed in artwork.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a sizing process for CAD data of a mask pattern, when an original pattern is a rectangular pattern abcd as shown in FIG. 7A1 and a sizing amount S is positive, as shown in FIG. BC, CD and D
This is performed by translating A outward by the sizing amount S and extending both ends of each side by the sizing amount S. By this sizing process, a rectangular pattern ABCD which is thickened without moving the center is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 7 (A2), when the original pattern is a rectangular pattern with a hollow inside, that is, when the internal pattern efgh is extracted from the outer side pattern abcd, the sizing amount is reduced. When S is positive, the above processing is performed on the outer side pattern abcd to obtain the outer side pattern ABCD, and the inner side pattern efgh
, An inner side pattern EFGH is obtained by performing the same processing as described above when the sizing amount is -S.

However, as the degree of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit increases, the pattern becomes finer. For example, if the sizing process is performed on the original pattern of FIG. 7A3 as shown in FIG. The side pattern efgh appears as the inner side pattern GHEF.

In order to avoid such erroneous processing, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 8A, (1) four rectangular patterns aimd, jbck, ijf without the original pattern
e, hgkm, and (2) performing the sizing process on each of the divided rectangular patterns to obtain four rectangular patterns AI1MD, J1BCK1,
I2J2FE and HGK2H2 are obtained, and (3) a logical OR operation is performed on these rectangular patterns to obtain a rectangular pattern ABCD in which the hollow pattern as shown in FIG.
Was getting.

[0006] In this way, a correct sizing process can be performed even on a hollow pattern.

In FIG. 8B, the rectangular patterns are slightly shifted from each other so that the sides of the rectangular patterns do not overlap to avoid confusion.

[0008]

However, since the number of original patterns to be subjected to sizing processing is enormous and the number of patterns to be subjected to sizing processing is greatly increased due to the division of hollow patterns, the sizing processing takes a long time. Becomes significant. If a sizing process as shown in FIG. 7 (B3) is performed to avoid this, an undesirable pattern is obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sizing processing method capable of performing correct sizing processing in a shorter time in view of such problems.

[0010]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory views of a sizing processing method according to the present invention.

This sizing method is based on the original pattern of the shape obtained by extracting the inner pattern from the outer pattern contained in the mask pattern CAD data by the width S to the outside of the outer side and the inside of the inner side. When performing a sizing process in which the sizing amount S is positive, that is, thickening the original pattern, the following processes (1) to (5) are performed. This original pattern is, for example, a pattern in which an inner pattern efgh is extracted from an outer pattern abcd as shown in FIG. 1A, or an inner pattern from an outer pattern abcdef as shown in FIG. This is a pattern of a shape obtained by extracting ghijkm.

(1) When the inner side pattern has an outer angle of 90 °, a side having a vertex having an outer angle of 90 ° as one end is extended from the one end to convert the inner side pattern into a first to n-th rectangular pattern. To divide.

For example, when the original pattern is as shown in FIG. 2A, as shown in FIG. 2B, a side gh and a side ih having a vertex h having an outer angle of 90 ° as one end are extended from the one end h. The inner side pattern ghijkm is divided into a first rectangular pattern gpkm and a second rectangular pattern ijkq.

(2) For each of the first to n-th rectangular patterns or the inner side pattern which is a rectangular pattern, for example, the inner side pattern efgh in FIG. Excludes the rectangular pattern, and narrows the rectangular pattern by the width S toward the inside of the side when the half value L of the short side is larger than the sizing amount S. Perform sizing processing.

For example, in FIG.
Is the second rectangular pattern ijkq that is equal to or less than the sizing amount S.
And the sizing process of the sizing amount of −S is performed on the first rectangular pattern qpkm in which the half value L of the short side is larger than the sizing amount S to obtain the rectangular pattern GPKM.

(3) When the inner side pattern has an outer angle of 90 °, the figure OR of the sized first to nth rectangular patterns is used as the sized inner side pattern.

For example, in FIG. 2B, the pattern GPKM
Is the sizing processed inner side pattern.

(4) Sizing processing of the sizing amount S is performed on the outer side pattern.

For example, in FIG.
By performing a sizing process of the sizing amount S on cdef, a pattern ABCDEF can be obtained.

(5) A pattern having a shape obtained by extracting the sized inner side pattern from the sized outer side pattern is defined as a pattern obtained by performing a sizing process of a sizing amount S on the original pattern.

For example, a pattern obtained by performing the sizing processing of the sizing amount S on the original pattern of FIG.
The pattern shown by the dotted line in (B) is obtained.

In the present invention, only the inner side pattern is divided into rectangular patterns, and the sizing process is performed on the rectangular pattern and the outer side pattern. Since simplification is achieved, correct sizing processing can be performed in a shorter time.

[0023]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic hardware configuration of the artwork processing apparatus. In this apparatus, magnetic tapes 11 and 21 and magnetic disks 12 and 22 are connected to a computer 10. CAD data of a mask pattern is recorded on the magnetic tape 11.

Next, the artwork processing by the computer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, the numerical values in parentheses indicate the step identification numbers in the figure.

(30) The computer 10 reads the mask pattern CAD data to be processed from the magnetic tape 11 and speeds up the processing to speed up the processing.
Write to.

(31) If S ≠ 0, the next step 32
The process proceeds to step 33 if S = 0.

(32) The computer 10 performs a sizing process as shown in FIG. 4 on all the patterns of the mask pattern CAD data written on the magnetic disk 12, and writes the result on the magnetic disk 22.

(33) The mask pattern data written on the magnetic disk 22 is converted into a format for an exposure device and a format for an inspection device, and is written on a magnetic tape 21.

Next, the details of the positive sizing processing (S> 0) for one pattern performed in step 32 will be described with reference to FIG. Negative sizing process (S
<0) is the same as the conventional one.

(40) It is determined whether or not the original pattern to be sized is a hollow pattern, that is, whether or not the pattern has an inner edge, for example, an inner edge efgh as shown in FIG. If there is an inner side, proceed to the next step 41,
If not, proceed to step 46.

(41) If the number of inner sides is 4, proceed to the next step 42, and if it is larger than 4, proceed to step 43. If the inner angles of the inner side pattern are all 90 °, the number of inner sides is 4, so whether or not the number of inner sides is 4 depends on the inner angle being 90 °.
It can be determined whether there is something other than the above, in other words, whether there is an outer angle of 90 °.

(42) Substitute 1 for the number of divisions n of the pattern enclosed by the inner side (inner side pattern), and proceed to step 45.

(43) The inner side pattern is divided into first to n-th rectangular patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the inner pattern ghijkm is extracted from the outer pattern abcdef as shown in FIG. 2A, the inner pattern ghijkm is divided as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, sides gh and ih each having a vertex h having an outer angle of 90 ° as one end are extended from the one end h, and an intersection with the side jk is defined as p, and an intersection with the side mk is defined as p. q, the inner side pattern ghijkm is divided into a first rectangular pattern gpkm and a second rectangular pattern ijkq.

(44) The number of divisions in step 43 is substituted for n. In the case of FIG. 2B, n = 2.

(45) A sizing process as shown in FIG. 5 is performed on the inner side pattern divided into rectangular patterns.

(46) Sizing processing is performed on the outer side pattern by a conventional method. For example, when the sizing process is performed on the outer side pattern abcd shown in FIG.
BCD is obtained, and the outer side pattern abc shown in FIG.
When sizing processing is performed on def, the pattern ABC
DEF is obtained.

(47) A pattern having a shape obtained by extracting the sizing-processed inner pattern from the sizing-processed outer pattern is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM as a pattern obtained by sizing the sizing amount S with respect to the original pattern. Each time the area becomes full, the data is written to the magnetic disk 22.

If the inner side pattern ghijkm is divided into a rectangular pattern ghqm and a rectangular pattern ijkq in step 43, the inner side pattern ghijkm
a rectangular pattern g whose vertex is a point q that is not the vertex of jkm
Since hqm is subjected to sizing processing, correct sizing cannot be performed. That is, it is necessary to perform division as in step 43 described above.

Next, the details of step 45 will be described with reference to FIG.

(50) 1 is substituted for an identification variable i of the rectangular pattern obtained by dividing the inner side pattern.

(51-53) Horizontal Wi of the i-th Rectangular Pattern
If the magnitude relation of the vertical Hi is Wi ≧ Hi, Hi / 2 is substituted for the short half-value L, and if Wi <Hi, Wi / 2 is substituted for the short half-value L.

(54-56) If L> S, a sizing process with a sizing amount of -S is performed on the i-th rectangular pattern by a conventional method. For example, the rectangular pattern g shown in FIG.
When this sizing process is performed on the pkm, a rectangular pattern GPKM is obtained.

If L ≦ S, the i-th rectangular pattern is excluded. For example, the rectangular pattern ijkq shown in FIG.
Is L ≧ S, and is excluded and disappears. Condition L ≦ S
Means that the straight line eE and the straight line fF intersect in FIG. Here, the points E and F are the inner side pattern efgh
Are points corresponding to points e and f in the pattern after sizing processing of sizing amount -S.

(57) If i <n, go to step 58; if i = n, go to step 59.

(58) Increment i and return to step 51.

(59) When n = 1, that is, when the inner side pattern is a rectangular pattern, the sizing process for one inner side pattern is completed. When n> 1, the process proceeds to the next step 60. .

(60) By performing a pattern OR operation between the sizing-processed first to n-th rectangular patterns and synthesizing the patterns, one correctly sizing-processed inner side pattern is obtained.

With respect to the hollow pattern shown in FIG.
When the sizing process is performed by the conventional method shown in FIG. 8, the hollow pattern must be divided into six rectangular patterns, and the sizing process must be performed on each of them. In contrast,
In this embodiment, since only the inner side pattern is divided into rectangular patterns, the inner side pattern is divided into two rectangular patterns.
A sizing process may be performed on a total of three patterns including the rectangular pattern and the outer side pattern. Further, according to the present embodiment, when the rectangular pattern obtained by dividing the inner side pattern disappears by the sizing process, the step 51
The processing becomes simple as shown in FIG.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the sizing process can be simplified as a whole and the processing time can be shortened as compared with the conventional case.

[0051]

As described above, according to the sizing processing method of the present invention, only the inner pattern is divided into rectangular patterns, and the sizing processing is performed on the rectangular pattern and the outer pattern. In addition, since the processing when this rectangular pattern disappears due to the sizing processing is simplified, there is an excellent effect that the correct sizing processing can be performed in a shorter time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a sizing processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a sizing processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a general flowchart showing a sizing processing procedure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of a sizing process for one pattern in step 32 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of step 45 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of hardware of the artwork processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional sizing process.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional sizing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Computer 11, 21 Magnetic Tape 12, 22 Magnetic Disk S Sizing Amount L Short Side Half Value

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-291470 (JP, A) JP-A-3-196040 (JP, A) JP-A-3-185568 (JP, A) JP-A-62-162 192861 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 17/50 H01L 21/82 G03F 1/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An original pattern having a shape obtained by extracting an inner pattern from an outer pattern included in a mask pattern CAD data (40). When performing a sizing process in which the sizing amount S is positive, that is, the pattern is thickened, when the inner side pattern has an outer angle of 90 °, the outer angle is 90
The side having the vertex at one end as an end is extended from the end to divide the inner side pattern into first to n-th rectangular patterns (41 to 4).
4), for each of the first to n-th rectangular patterns or the inner side pattern which is a rectangular pattern, the half value L (5
1 to 53) is smaller than the sizing amount S, the rectangular pattern is excluded (54, 56). If the half value L of the short side is larger than the sizing amount S, the rectangular pattern is
Narrowing the rectangular pattern by the width S to the inside of the side,
Perform sizing processing with a sizing amount of -S (54, 5
5), when the inner side pattern has an outer angle of 90 °, the figure OR between the sized first to n-th rectangular patterns is set as the sized inner side pattern (59, 6).
0), a sizing process of a sizing amount S is performed on the outer side pattern (46), and a pattern obtained by extracting the sized inner side pattern from the sized outer side pattern is replaced with the original pattern. A pattern obtained by performing a sizing process of a sizing amount S on the pattern (47).