| CPC G03F 7/70441 (2013.01) [G03F 1/36 (2013.01); G03F 1/70 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A method of manufacturing a photo mask for a semiconductor device, comprising:
determining a first enhancement region, in a first simulation zone, of a layout pattern of the photo mask;
determining a stitching mobility zone inside the first simulation zone, wherein the first enhancement region is in the stitching mobility zone and all sides of the stitching mobility zone are enclosed inside a first boundary of the first simulation zone;
determining an optimization mobility zone inside the stitching mobility zone, wherein all sides of the optimization mobility zone are enclosed inside a second boundary of the stitching mobility zone, wherein the first enhancement region is in the optimization mobility zone, and wherein a third boundary of the optimization mobility zone encloses a fourth boundary of the first enhancement region;
performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) operation of the layout pattern of the photo mask in the first simulation zone to generate an OPC corrected layout pattern in the first simulation zone;
combining the OPC corrected layout pattern and the layout pattern in the first simulation zone to generate an enhanced layout pattern of the photo mask in the first simulation zone by:
selecting the OPC corrected layout pattern inside the fourth boundary;
selecting, based on a first weighting function, a weighted sum of the OPC corrected layout pattern and the layout pattern between the fourth boundary and the third boundary;
selecting, based on a second weighting function, a weighted sum of the OPC corrected layout pattern and the layout pattern between the third boundary and the second boundary; and
selecting the layout pattern between the second boundary and the first boundary; and
forming the enhanced layout pattern on a mask blank,
wherein the layout pattern comprises a first plurality of vertices, the OPC corrected layout pattern comprises a second plurality of vertices, and the enhanced layout pattern comprises a third plurality of vertices, and wherein the combining the OPC corrected layout pattern and the layout pattern in the first simulation zone further comprises:
generating the third plurality of vertices based on the first plurality of vertices and the second plurality of vertices; and
generating the enhanced layout pattern of the photo mask as curvilinear shapes having the third plurality of vertices and multiple line segments connecting corresponding vertices of the third plurality of vertices.
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