METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE PARAMETERS OF AN IC MANUFACTURING PROCESS BY A DIFFERENTIAL PROCEDURE

摘要

A method to easily determine the parameters of a second process for manufacturing from the parameters of a first process is provided. Metrics representative of the differences between the two processes are computed from a number of values of the parameters, which can be measured for the two processes on a calibration layout, or which can be determined from pre-existing values for layouts or reference data for the two processes by an interpolation/extrapolation procedure. The number of metrics is selected so that their combination gives a precise representation of the differences between the two processes in all areas of a design. Advantageously, the metrics are calculated as a product of convolution of the target design and a compound of a kernel function and a deformation function.

主权项

1. A method of determining, by a computer, an output vector comprising at least an output variable, said output vector defining corrections to be applied to at least a feature of a second process for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, said method comprising:
obtaining a first series of values of an input vector for a first process for manufacturing the same semiconductor integrated circuit at a first plurality of points of a first layout, said input vector comprising at least an input variable; obtaining a second series of values of the at least a component of the input vector for the second process at one of the same first plurality of points on the first layout and a second plurality of points on a second layout; determining values of a state vector comprising at least a state variable, said state vector representative of a state of differences between the first and the second series of values of the input vector; obtaining by a direct calculation the output vector for the series of values of the state vector.