US 12,406,130 B2
Geometric mask rule check with favorable and unfavorable zones
Shih-Ming Chang, Hsinchu (TW); Shinn-Sheng Yu, Hsinchu (TW); Jue-Chin Yu, Taichung (TW); and Ping-Chieh Wu, Zhubei (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 23, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/672,836.
Application 18/672,836 is a continuation of application No. 18/334,551, filed on Jun. 14, 2023, granted, now 12,019,974.
Application 18/334,551 is a continuation of application No. 17/386,737, filed on Jul. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,714,951, issued on Aug. 1, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/188,196, filed on May 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0311545 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 30/30 (2020.01); G03F 1/36 (2012.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G06F 30/398 (2020.01)
CPC G06F 30/398 (2020.01) [G03F 1/36 (2013.01); G03F 7/70433 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
generating a diffraction map from target patterns;
generating a first plurality of sub-resolution patterns in the diffraction map;
selecting a first sub-resolution pattern from the first plurality of sub-resolution patterns, wherein the selecting is based on locations of the first plurality of sub-resolution patterns in the diffraction map;
performing a modification operation to modify the first plurality of sub-resolution patterns collectively into a second plurality of sub-resolution patterns, wherein the first sub-resolution pattern is modified to generate a second sub-resolution pattern; and
forming a photolithography mask comprising patterns of the target patterns and the second plurality of sub-resolution patterns.