Rule checking

1. A computer-implemented method for verification of a layout of an integrated circuit according to a design intent with a selected manufacturing process, the method comprising:

receiving layout data comprising circuit parts in one or more layers representing the integrated circuit;

defining corner points of a first circuit part as seed points;

for each seed point;

projecting a polygon shape proximal to the seed point wherein the polygon shape is selected from one or more reference shapes that are distinct from the circuit parts, wherein a selected reference shape is associated with a local topology around the seed point;

calculating an overlap area between the projected polygon shape and a second circuit part in the critical region; and

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical connection between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is lower than a threshold connection area;

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical isolation between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is higher than a threshold isolation area

generating a verification result indicating rejection of the layout data; and

amending the layout based on the rejection.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

calculating, for a plurality of seed points and associated projected polygon shapes, a plurality of overlap areas between the said projected polygon shapes and the second circuit part summing the overlap areas; and further comprising at least one of the following steps:

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical connection and the sum of the overlap areas is lower than a threshold connection area sum; and

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical isolation and the sum of the overlap areas is higher than a threshold isolation area sum.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polygon shape has a surface area lower than a surface area of the first circuit part and higher than a surface area of a minimum spot size of the selected manufacturing process.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first circuit part is selected in a critical region that is identified as a region comprising the first circuit part and the second circuit part, wherein a distance between an edge of the first circuit part and an edge of the second circuit part is within a threshold distance.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein a seed point is further selected by one of:

selecting a point on an edge of the first circuit part, the point having a predetermined distance with respect to a corner of the first circuit part;

selecting a point on an edge of the first circuit part, the point having a predetermined distance with respect to another seed point along the edge of the first circuit part;

selecting a point on an edge of the first circuit part, the point dividing the edge between corners of the edge into two or more line segments of equal length;

selecting a point on a crossing of an edge of the first circuit part with an edge of the second circuit part; and

selecting a point on an edge of the first circuit part projected from the second circuit part.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reference shapes are associated with respective reference circuit patterns, and wherein the selected reference shape is associated with the local topology by transforming a respective reference circuit pattern to match the local topology.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a seed point is only generated when the local topology of the seed point matches one of the reference circuit patterns within a threshold tolerance.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first circuit part is reshaped by optical proximity correction prior to the verification, and wherein the seed point is selected on a shifted edge of the reshaped first circuit part.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the overlap area is multiplied by a weighting factor that is variably dependent on a position relative to the polygon shape.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing layout data representing an integrated circuit; and

repeating the steps of;

testing verification of the layout data; and

amending the layout data until the layout data is fully accepted, thereby providing verified layout data.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising manufacturing a mask using the verified layout data.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising manufacturing the integrated circuit using the mask.

13. A computer system for verification of a layout of an integrated circuit with a selected manufacturing process, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory wherein the memory contains a set of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving layout data comprising circuit parts in one or more layers representing the integrated circuit;

defining corner points of a first circuit part as seed points;

for each seed point;

projecting a polygon shape proximal to the seed point wherein the polygon shape is selected from one or more reference shapes that are distinct from the circuit parts, wherein a selected reference shape is associated with a local topology around the seed point;

calculating an overlap area between the projected polygon shape and a second circuit part in the critical region; and

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical connection between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is lower than a threshold connection area;

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical isolation between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is higher than a threshold isolation area

generating a verification result indicating rejection of the layout data; and

amending the layout based on the rejection.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the set of instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

calculating, for a plurality of seed points and associated projected polygon shapes, a plurality of overlap areas between the said projected polygon shapes and the second circuit part summing the overlap areas; and further comprising at least one of the following steps:

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical connection and the sum of the overlap areas is lower than a threshold connection area sum; and

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical isolation and the sum of the overlap areas is higher than a threshold isolation area sum.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the set of instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising projecting a polygon shape, wherein the polygon shape has a surface area lower than a surface area of the first circuit part and higher than a surface area of a minimum spot size of the selected manufacturing process.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the set of instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising a selection of a critical region that is identified as a region comprising the first circuit part and the second circuit part, wherein a distance between an edge of the first circuit part and an edge of the second circuit part is within a threshold distance and wherein the first circuit part is selected in a critical region.

17. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving layout data comprising circuit parts in one or more layers representing the integrated circuit;

defining corner points of a first circuit part as seed points;

for each seed point

projecting a polygon shape proximal to the seed point wherein the polygon shape is selected from one or more reference shapes that are distinct from the circuit parts, wherein a selected reference shape is associated with a local topology around the seed point;

calculating an overlap area between the projected polygon shape and a second circuit part in the critical region; and

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical connection between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is lower than a threshold connection area;

rejecting the layout if the design intent is an electrical isolation between the first and second circuit parts and the overlap area is higher than a threshold isolation area

generating a verification result indicating rejection of the layout data; and

amending the layout based on the rejection.