Litho rule checking (LRC) is now an established component in the mask synthesis flow. Yet the requirements placed on
LRC have grown as process complexity has increased. At 45nm and beyond, new techniques are required to thoroughly
and efficiently evaluate a layout for potential lithographic problems. This paper examines new modeling and checking
techniques which improve the detection of lithographic errors. For more thorough error detection across a wider range
of process points, a process window technique provides checking of potential lithographic errors at nine different process
points. To better detect potential pinches or bridges induced by deep sub-wavelength lithography, a technique which
identifies problems regardless of orientation is used. These techniques provide more thorough checking, both better
accuracy and improved runtime performance across the complete process window.
John Gookassian, Bob Pack, Mitch Heins, John Garcia, Hitendra Divecha, Brian Gordon, Dean Frazier, Dan White, Gurgen Lachinyan, Brian Dillon, Christophe Suzor, Anthony Adamov, Kyung-Youl Min, Sergei Bakarian, Rafik Marutyan, Victor Boksha
There is a growing realization of the need for highly integrated solutions enabled by new bi-directional data 'pipes' between design and manufacturing. Traditional EDA applications should be able to communicate and collaborate with yield analysis software. Simply adding such capabilities to existing EDA applications is not feasible. Thus, there is a need for an infrastructure that would enable such interaction in a standard way. We call this infrastructure the DFM Platform.
In this article we present new approach to building such a platform. Brief descriptions of potential applications follow the platform architecture. "Via analysis" application includes test chips capabilities, critical area and critical parameter analysis to predict yield for a real design. The "DFM Cell Grading" module applies the concept of DFM to IP Libraries.
Accurate manufacturing of devices at sub-wavelength nodes is becoming increasingly difficult. Lithography and lithographic process effects are quickly becoming a major concern for physical designers working at sub-wavelength process nodes. Beyond the rapidly expanding design rule deck, physical designers must have deeper access to and understanding of the process in order to grasp the full impact of layout changes on electrical performance. Process aberrations, such as misalignment, are manifested as CD variation resulting in parametric shifts and systematic yield problems. These yield issues must be addressed by designers, but designers do not have adequate tools nor information to fully comprehend these issues. To correct this situation, a new approach is needed to bring information from the manufacturing process upstream into the design creation process.
This work extends and generalizes concepts presented in [1-3] and presents an integrated implementation of the methodology in a complete, self-consistent flow. This methodology integrates calibrated process simulation, electrical circuit performance analysis and optionally, automatic Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) into a comprehensive Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) flow. Process window simulations uncover design-process interactions across multiple process variables (misalignment, bias, etc.). To characterize the process, a design of experiments qualifies the impact of design variation on electrical performance. Data from these experiments is used to refine and calibrate process simulation models, ensuring accurate simulation. As a result, this procedure identifies critical performance and systematic yield issues prior to tapeout, eliminating costly design respins and preserving design intent.
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