Wafer hotspot prevention using etch aware OPC correction

Ayman Hamouda; Dave Power; Mohamed Salama; Ao Chen

doi:10.1117/12.2220778

Abstract

As technology development advances into deep-sub-wavelength nodes, multiple patterning is becoming more essential to achieve the technology shrink requirements. Recently, Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) technology has proposed simultaneous correction of multiple mask-patterns to enable multiple patterning awareness during OPC correction. This is essential to prevent inter-layer hot-spots during the final pattern transfer. In state-of-art literature, multi-layer awareness is achieved using simultaneous resist-contour simulations to predict and correct for hot-spots during mask generation. However, this approach assumes a uniform etch shrink response for all patterns independent of their proximity, which isn’t sufficient for the full prevention of inter-exposure hot-spot, for example different color space violations post etch or via coverage/enclosure post etch.

In this paper, we explain the need to include the etch component during multiple patterning OPC. We also introduce a novel approach for Etch-aware simultaneous Multiple-patterning OPC, where we calibrate and verify a lumped model that includes the combined resist and etch responses. Adding this extra simulation condition during OPC is suitable for full chip processing from a computation intensity point of view. Also, using this model during OPC to predict and correct inter-exposures hot-spots is similar to previously proposed multiple-patterning OPC, yet our proposed approach more accurately corrects post-etch defects too.

Citation Download Citation

Ayman Hamouda, Dave Power, Mohamed Salama, Ao Chen, "Wafer hotspot prevention using etch aware OPC correction", Proc. SPIE 9781, Design-Process-Technology Co-optimization for Manufacturability X, 978115 (16 March 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2220778; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2220778

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