Patent · US Expired

Method for designing and making photolithographic reticle, reticle, and photolithographic process

US6238824A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
5References
60Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1999
Grant dateMay 29, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70441
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

There are provided methods for making a reticle for use in a photolithography process, comprising generating an first reticle layout having at least one printable reticle feature, generating a modified reticle layout having the first reticle layout and at least one correction area, generating an alignment budget-containing reticle layout having at least one different printable reticle feature and at least one alignment budget border area, and removing from the modified reticle layout any area of overlap between the at least one correction area and the at least one alignment budget border area. There are also provided reticles formed according to such methods. In addition, there are provided computer-implemented methods for designing such a reticle, as well as computer readable storage media, and computer systems for use in making such reticles. In addition, there are provided photolithographic processes using such a reticle.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.