Granted Patent B2

US 7,962,868 · App. 12/091,695 · Granted Jun 14, 2011

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. A method for forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

performing a first optimization of a first edge location of a feature fragment, wherein the first optimization has a first speed per fragment;

performing a second optimization of a second edge location of the feature fragment, wherein:

the second edge location is part of a result of the first optimization;

the second optimization is performed after the first optimization; and

the second optimization has a second speed per fragment that is slower than the first speed per fragment;

using a result of the second optimization to form a reticle pattern; and

using the reticle pattern to form a device feature over a semiconductor wafer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:

setting an initial run condition, a first simulation condition, and a second simulation condition, wherein the initial run condition and the first simulation condition are used in performing the first optimization;

setting an optimization condition prior to performing the first optimization;

determining if the optimization condition is met after performing the first optimization;

when the optimization condition is not met, setting a new run condition, wherein the new run condition and the first simulation condition are used in performing the first optimization; and

when the optimization condition is met, using the new run condition and the second simulation condition in performing the second optimization.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the initial run condition is selected from the group consisting of a first movement condition and a first discretization condition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the optimization condition is an error condition.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein setting a new run condition includes choosing a new run condition from a predetermined list of run conditions.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second optimization has a slower run time than the first optimization.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the first optimization and the second optimization includes moving fragment edges parallel to the edge of the feature.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first optimization includes a first predetermined number of iterations and the second optimization includes a second predetermined number of iterations.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined number is greater than the second predetermined number.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first simulation condition is selected from a group consisting of a first optical model radius, and a first number of simulation kernels, and the second simulation condition is selected from the group consisting of a second optical model radius, and a second number of simulation kernels, wherein the first optical model radius is different than the second optical model radius, and the first number of simulation kernels is different than the second number of simulation kernels.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second optimization has a slower run time than the first optimization.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the first optimization and the second optimization includes moving fragment edges parallel to the edge of the feature.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first simulation condition is selected from a group consisting of a first optical model radius, and a first number of simulation kernels, and the second simulation condition is selected from the group consisting of a second optical model radius, and a second number of simulation kernels, wherein the first optical model radius is different than the second optical model radius, and the first number of simulation kernels is different than the second number of simulation kernels.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first simulation condition is selected from a group consisting of a first optical model radius, and a first number of simulation kernels, and the second simulation condition is selected from the group consisting of a second optical model radius, and a second number of simulation kernels, wherein the first optical model radius is different than the second optical model radius, and the first number of simulation kernels is different than the second number of simulation kernels.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first optimization and the second optimization includes moving fragment edges parallel to the edge of the feature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first optimization includes a first predetermined number of iterations and the second optimization includes a second predetermined number of iterations.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first optimization includes a first predetermined number of iterations and the second optimization includes a second predetermined number of iterations.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first predetermined number is greater than the second predetermined number.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first simulation condition is selected from a group consisting of a first optical model radius, and a first number of simulation kernels, and the second simulation condition is selected from the group consisting of a second optical model radius, and a second number of simulation kernels, wherein the first optical model radius is different than the second optical model radius, and the first number of simulation kernels is different than the second number of simulation kernels.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first optimization includes a first predetermined number of iterations and the second optimization includes a second predetermined number of iterations.

Assignments (31)