US 12,302,641 B2
Optimization of a digital pattern file for a digital lithography device
Chung-Shin Kang, San Jose, CA (US); Thomas L. Laidig, Richmond, CA (US); Yinfeng Dong, San Jose, CA (US); Yao-Cheng Yang, Mountain View, CA (US); Chen-Chien Hung, Tainan (TW); Shivaraj Gururaj Kamalapura, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Tsaichuan Kao, San Ramon, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/636,998
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 23, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/052449
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/061092, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0367438 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 30/398 (2020.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H10D 89/10 (2025.01)
CPC H10D 89/10 (2025.01) [G03F 7/70433 (2013.01); G06F 30/398 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for optimizing a digital pattern file for a digital lithography device, the method comprising:
removing redundant cells from the digital pattern file to generate a first updated digital pattern file;
comparing the first updated digital pattern file with the digital pattern file;
reducing a number of vertexes of a first arc of the first updated digital pattern file to generate a second updated digital pattern file;
comparing the second updated digital pattern file with the first updated digital pattern file;
replacing a first cell of the second updated digital pattern file with an alternative version of the first cell to generate a third updated digital pattern file;
comparing the third updated digital pattern file with the second updated digital pattern file;
converting one or more polygons within the third updated digital pattern file to one or more quad polygons to generate an optimized digital pattern file; and
comparing the optimized digital pattern file with the third updated digital pattern file.