IP Library Granted Patent US 11,373,018
Granted Patent B2
US 11,373,018 · App. 16/123,387 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Method of displaying model and designing pattern, and storage medium

Inventor: Taiki Kimura (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
G06F30/20G03F7/705G06F17/16G06F3/147G06F17/12G06F2111/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,373,018
App. No.
16/123,387
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method of displaying model includes: sampling a pattern to acquire an attention point; calculating a spatial or planar distribution that indicates any one of a design density, a lithography target density, a mask transmittance, or an optical image intensity at N points (N being an integer equal to or greater than 1) on the pattern including the attention point; calculating a threshold for the pattern; estimating, based on the distribution and the threshold, N elements respectively corresponding to the N points as a model; and displaying the estimated model.

Claims (40)

1. A method of displaying a model, the method comprising:

sampling a pattern of a resist to acquire M attention points, where M is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculating, for each of the M attention points, an optical image intensity distribution indicating an optical image intensity at each of N points including the attention point and N−1 points in a vicinity of the attention point, where N is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculating a development threshold for the pattern based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points;

estimating a second vector x as a resist model by solving a minimization problem of a cost function F=∥b−Ax∥2 based on a matrix A and a first vector b; and

displaying the resist model,

wherein:

the matrix A is an optical image intensity distribution matrix of M rows and N columns based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points,

the first vector b is a resist image vector having M elements and based on the calculated development threshold,

the second vector x is an integral kernel vector having N elements and configured to convert the optical image intensity distribution into the resist image vector, and

the resist model is a chemical reaction model of the resist subjected to optical imaging with the optical image intensity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attention points are acquired by sampling a border of the pattern.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the pattern comprises a resist pattern corresponding to a mask pattern,

the attention points are acquired by sampling the resist pattern, and

the optical image intensity distribution is calculated based on the mask pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying includes visualizing the model by mapping the N elements on a certain area.

5. A method of designing a pattern, the method comprising:

sampling a first pattern of a resist to acquire M attention points, where M is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculating, for each of the M attention points, an optical image intensity distribution indicating an optical image intensity at each of N points including the attention point and N−1 points in a vicinity of the attention point, where N is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculating a development threshold for the first pattern based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points;

estimating a second vector x as a resist model by solving a minimization problem of a cost function F=∥b−Ax∥2 based on a matrix A and a first vector b;

displaying the resist model; and

designing a second pattern including a design parameter of the first pattern by applying the resist model,

wherein:

the matrix A is an optical image intensity distribution matrix of M rows and N columns based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points,

the first vector b is a resist image vector having M elements and based on the calculated development threshold,

the second vector x is an integral kernel vector having N elements and configured to convert the optical image intensity distribution into the resist image vector, and

the resist model is a chemical reaction model of the resist subjected to optical imaging with the optical image intensity.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to:

sample a pattern of a resist to acquire M attention points, where M is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculate, for each of the M attention points, an optical image intensity distribution indicating an optical image intensity at each of N points including the attention point and N−1 points in a vicinity of the attention point, where N is an integer equal to or greater than 1;

calculate a development threshold for the pattern based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points;

estimate a second vector x as a resist model by solving a minimization problem of a cost function F=∥b−Ax∥2 based on a matrix A and a first vector b; and

display the resist model,

wherein:

the matrix A is an optical image intensity distribution matrix of M rows and N columns based on the optical image intensity distribution calculated for each of the M attention points,

the first vector b is a resist image vector having M elements and based on the calculated development threshold,

the second vector x is an integral kernel vector having N elements and configured to convert the optical image intensity distribution into the resist image vector, and

the resist model is a chemical reaction model of the resist subjected to optical imaging with the optical image intensity.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 15, 2022
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059111/0120 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2018
From: KIMURA, TAIKI
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046802/0774 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP JP 2018-010465 · Jan 25, 2018 · national
JP JP 2018-131509 · Jul 11, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190228119A1 · Jul 25, 2019