The search functionality is under construction.
The search functionality is under construction.

Accurate Systematic Hot-Spot Scoring Method and Score-Based Fixing Guidance Generation

Yonghee PARK, Junghoe CHOI, Jisuk HONG, Sanghoon LEE, Moonhyun YOO, Jundong CHO

  • Full Text Views

    0

  • Cite this

Summary :

The researches on predicting and removing of lithographic hot-spots have been prevalent in recent semiconductor industries, and known to be one of the most difficult challenges to achieve high quality detection coverage. To provide physical design implementation with designer's favors on fixing hot-spots, in this paper, we present a noble and accurate hot-spot detection method, so-called "leveling and scoring" algorithm based on weighted combination of image quality parameters (i.e., normalized image log-slope (NILS), mask error enhancement factor (MEEF), and depth of focus (DOF)) from lithography simulation. In our algorithm, firstly, hot-spot scoring function considering severity level is calibrated with process window qualification, and then least-square regression method is used to calibrate weighting coefficients for each image quality parameter. In this way, after we obtain the scoring function with wafer results, our method can be applied to future designs of using the same process. Using this calibrated scoring function, we can successfully generate fixing guidance and rule to detect hot-spot area by locating edge bias value which leads to a hot-spot-free score level. Finally, we integrate the hot-spot fixing guidance information into layout editor to facilitate the user-favorable design environment. Applying our method to memory devices of 60 nm node and below, we could successfully attain sufficient process window margin to yield high mass production.

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Fundamentals Vol.E92-A No.12 pp.3082-3085
Publication Date
2009/12/01
Publicized
Online ISSN
1745-1337
DOI
10.1587/transfun.E92.A.3082
Type of Manuscript
Special Section LETTER (Special Section on VLSI Design and CAD Algorithms)
Category
Device and Circuit Modeling and Analysis

Authors

Keyword