IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,743,571
Granted Patent B2
US 12,743,571 · App. 18/151,051 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Method and system for simulating and verifying layout based on distribution

Inventors: Hyunjae Jang (Suwon-si, KR); Jongwon Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); In Huh (Suwon-si, KR); Satbyul Kim (Seoul, KR); Younggu Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Yunjun Nam (Suwon-si, KR); Changwook Jeong (Hwaseong-si, KR); Moonhyun Cha (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G06F30/392G06F30/398G06F2119/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,743,571
App. No.
18/151,051
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for simulating a layout of an integrated circuit manufactured by a semiconductor process includes extracting a plurality of pattern layouts from layout data that defines the layout, generating training data by amplifying the plurality of pattern layouts and at least one parameter provided from the semiconductor process, generating sample data by sampling the training data, generating feature data including a three-dimensional array from the sample data, providing the sample data and the feature data to a simulator and a machine learning model, respectively, and training the machine learning model based on an output of the machine learning model and an output of the simulator.

Claims (62)

1 . A method for simulating a layout of an integrated circuit manufactured by a semiconductor process, the method comprising:

extracting a plurality of pattern layouts from layout data that defines the layout;

generating training data by amplifying the plurality of pattern layouts and at least one parameter provided from the semiconductor process;

generating sample data by sampling the training data;

generating feature data including a three-dimensional array from the sample data;

providing the sample data and the feature data to a simulator and a machine learning model, respectively; and

training the machine learning model based on an output of the machine learning model and an output of the simulator.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting of the plurality of pattern layouts comprises:

pre-processing the layout data based on information about a plurality of reference patterns;

grouping patterns respectively corresponding to the plurality of reference patterns from the pre-processed layout data into a plurality of groups; and

extracting coordinates of the plurality of pattern layouts respectively corresponding to the plurality of groups.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-processing of the layout data comprises adjusting a resolution of the layout data to correspond to information about the plurality of reference patterns or a resolution of the feature data.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-processing of the layout data comprises flattening a hierarchy included in the layout data.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the training data comprises performing a design of experiments (DOE) by sampling the at least one parameter.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the sample data comprises:

providing the feature data corresponding to the training data to the machine learning model and collecting a plurality of outputs of a hidden layer of the machine learning model; and

grouping the plurality of outputs of the hidden layer into a plurality of groups; and

sampling the sample data from the training data based on the plurality of groups.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the generating of the sample data further comprises:

training the machine learning model so that a Lipschitz constant in a latent space of the plurality of outputs decreases.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the feature data comprises:

transforming a pattern layout included in the sample data based on at least one parameter included in the sample data;

generating a plurality of two-dimensional arrays respectively corresponding to a plurality of layers of the transformed pattern layout; and

generating the three-dimensional array including the plurality of two-dimensional arrays.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the generating of the feature data further comprises:

generating a new layer from at least one of the plurality of layers based on the at least one parameter included in the sample data; and

generating a two-dimensional array corresponding to the new layer.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine learning model comprises:

a first sub-model configured to receive the three-dimensional array;

a second sub-model configured to receive at least one parameter included in the feature data; and

a third sub-model configured to generate the output of the machine learning model from an output of the first sub-model and an output of the second sub-model.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein

the third sub-model comprises a deconvolution layer, and

the output of the machine learning model is a two-dimensional array.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein

the feature data comprises:

a first three-dimensional array comprising two-dimensional arrays of same size as the output of the machine learning model; and

a second three-dimensional array comprising two-dimensional arrays of a greater size than the output of the machine learning model, and

the first sub-model comprises a model receiving the first three-dimensional array and a model receiving the second three-dimensional array.

13 . A method for simulating a layout of an integrated circuit manufactured by a semiconductor process, the method comprising:

extracting a plurality of pattern layouts from layout data that defines the layout;

obtaining at least one distribution of parameters of the semiconductor process;

generating at least one input parameter by sampling the at least one distribution;

generating feature data including a three-dimensional array from the plurality of pattern layouts and the at least one input parameter;

providing the feature data to a machine learning model trained based on an output of a simulator; and

verifying the layout based on an output of the machine learning model, wherein verifying the layout comprises generating verification data, and the verification data includes a value indicating reliability of a pattern layout of the plurality of pattern layouts.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the obtaining of the at least one distribution comprises obtaining at least one distribution from a process model that models the semiconductor process.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the generating of the at least one input parameter comprises generating the at least one input parameter by performing Monte Carlo sampling on the at least one distribution.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the verifying of the layout comprises calculating a standard score from the output of the machine learning model based on a threshold value.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the calculating of the standard score comprises:

counting an output of the machine learning model that is less than or equal to the threshold value;

calculating a probability based on a result of the counting; and

calculating the standard score based on the probability.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the calculating of the standard score comprises:

calculating a probability based on the threshold value and importance sampling; and

calculating the standard score based on the probability.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the verifying of the layout comprises:

collecting standard scores corresponding to a plurality of pattern layouts; and

calculating a reliability index of the integrated circuit, based on the collected standard scores.

20 . A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, allow the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 13 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2023
From: JANG, HYUNJAE; KIM, JONGWON; HUH, IN; KIM, SATBYUL; KIM, YOUNGGU; NAM, YUNJUN; JEONG, CHANGWOOK; CHA, MOONHYUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062344/0604 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0008691 · Jan 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230229841A1 · Jul 20, 2023
References Cited (31)
US 6470489B1 · Chang et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 9053276B2 · Mohanty et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 10706200B2 · Sha et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10943049B2 · Chuang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11010529B2 · Salik et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11042806B1 · Jiang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11914941B2 · Salik · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12086526B2 · Lee · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20140282314A1 · Mohanty · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160246167A1 · Abdo et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180239851A1 · Ypma · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20200380362A1 · Cao et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210174000A1 · Chuang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210240906A1 · Salik · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210264087A1 · Jiang · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210287120A1 · Mamidi et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20240028910A1 · Nam · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240143886A1 · Kang · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20250062966A1 · Hirohata · 2025 [cited by examiner]
KR 1020190117724A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200002303A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020210023641A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
TW 201833801A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020079810A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Ozan Senser et al., “Active Learning for Convolutional Neural Networks: A Core-Set Approach,” ICLR 2018, Jun. 1, 2018. [cited by applicant]
Kevin Scaman, et al., “Lipschitz regularity of deep neural networks: analysis and efficient estimation,” Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, Dec. 2018. [cited by applicant]
Donggeun Yoo et al., “Learning loss for active learning,” 2019 IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), Jun. 15-20, 2019. [cited by applicant]
Yarin Gal et al., “Deep Bayesian Active Learning with Image Data,” Proceedings of the 34th International conference on Machine Learning, Mar. 8, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Tianyang Gai, et al., “Multi-level layout hotspot detection based on multi-classification with deep learning,” Proceedings of SPIE, Feb. 22, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance in Korean Appln. No. 10-2022-0008691, mailed on May 20, 2026, 8 pages (with English translation). [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance in Taiwanese Appln. No. 112102268, mailed on Aug. 12, 2026, 9 pages (with machine translation). [cited by applicant]