Handling of flat data for phase processing including growing shapes within bins to identify clusters
US7500217B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 3, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 19, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70558
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Definition of a phase shifting layout from an original layout can be time consuming. If the original layout is divided into useful groups, i.e. clusters that can be independently processed, then the phase shifting process can be performed more rapidly. If the shapes on the layout are enlarged, then the overlapping shapes can be grouped together to identify shapes that should be processed together. For large layouts, growing and grouping the shapes can be time consuming. Therefore, an approach that uses bins can speed up the clustering process, thereby allowing the phase shifting to be performed in parallel on multiple computers. Additional efficiencies result if identical clusters are identified and processing time saved so that repeated clusters of shapes only undergo the computationally expensive phase shifter placement and assignment process a single time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.