Automated lithographic hot spot detection employing unsupervised topological image categorization
US8453075B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 2, 2011 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F1/70
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for proactively preventing lithographic problems is disclosed, which employs information generated from layout patterns including hot spots in a first technology node to identify hot spots in a second technology node employing a scaled down minimum dimension. In this proactive approach, problematic patterns or complex product geometries are identified in a chip design layout of the second technology node based on detection, in the chip design layout, of topological features that are similar to topological features of known hot spots in the first technology node. The identified patterns are potential hot spots in the chip design layout for the second technology node. Known hot spots in layout patterns in the first technology node are topologically categorized to provide a database for performing the fault detection and diagnosis on the chip design layout.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.