Reducing color conflicts in triple patterning lithography

US9158885B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• GlobalFoundries Inc. · KY

Inventors

• Michael S. Gray · Saint Albans, US
• Matthew T. Guzowski · South Burlington, US
• Alexander Ivrii · Haifa, IL
• Lars Liebmann · Poughquag, US
• Kevin W. McCullen · South Burlington, US
• Gustavo E. Tellez · South Burlington, US
• Michael Gester · Bonn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 15, 2014
• Grant date: Oct 13, 2015
• Expiry date: May 15, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70433
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods of the present disclosure can include: using a computing device to perform actions including: applying a design rule check (DRC) on a proposed integrated circuit (IC) layout, wherein the DRC applies a set of restrictive design rules (RDRs) in response to the proposed IC layout being a contact area (CA) layout; computing a conflict graph for the proposed IC layout in response to one of the IC layout being a metal layer layout and the set of RDRs being satisfied; determining whether the IC layout is one of non-colorable, indeterminate, partially colorable, and fully colorable; and partially coloring the IC layout and identifying non-colorable nodes in response to the IC layout being indeterminate or partially colorable.