Patents Assigned to D2S, Inc.
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FORMING PATTERNS WITH CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140229904
    Abstract: In a method for fracturing or mask data preparation or mask process correction for charged particle beam lithography, a plurality of shots are determined that will form a pattern on a surface, where shots are determined so as to reduce sensitivity of the resulting pattern to changes in beam blur (?f). In some embodiments, the sensitivity to changes in ?f is reduced by varying the charged particle surface dosage for a portion of the pattern. Methods for forming patterns on a surface, and for manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed, in which pattern sensitivity to changes in ?f is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Ingo Bork
  • Method and System for Forming High Accuracy Patterns Using Charged Particle Beam Lithography
    Publication number: 20140223393
    Abstract: A method and system for optical proximity correction (OPC) is disclosed in which a set of shaped beam shots is determined which, when used in a shaped beam charged particle beam writer, will form a pattern on a reticle, where some of the shots overlap, where the pattern on the reticle is an OPC-corrected version of an input pattern, and where the sensitivity of the pattern on the reticle to manufacturing variation is reduced. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Kazuyuki Hagiwara, Stephen F. Meier, Ingo Bork
  • Method and system for forming a pattern using charged particle beam lithography with multiple exposure passes which expose different surface area
    Patent number: 8771906
    Abstract: In the field of semiconductor production using charged particle beam lithography, a method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed, in which the union of shots from one of a plurality of exposure passes is different than the union of shots from a different exposure pass. Methods for manufacturing a reticle and manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed, in which the union of shots from one of a plurality of charged particle beam exposure passes is different than the union of shots from a different exposure pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Harold Robert Zable, Akira Fujimura
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FORMING A PATTERN ON A RETICLE USING CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140158916
    Abstract: A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation is disclosed in which a desired substrate pattern for a substrate is input. A plurality of charged particle beam shots is then determined which will form a reticle pattern on a reticle, where the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern. A similar method and a similar system for forming a pattern on a reticle are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Fujimura
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FORMING A PATTERN ON A RETICLE USING CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140162466
    Abstract: A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation is disclosed in which a plurality of charged particle beam shots is determined which will produce a pattern on a reticle, where the reticle is to be used to form an aerial image on a resist-coated substrate using an optical lithographic process. A simulated reticle pattern is then calculated from the plurality of charged particle beam shots. A calculated aerial substrate image is then calculated using the simulated reticle pattern, and a shot in the plurality of shots is modified to improve the calculated aerial substrate image. Similar methods for forming a pattern on a reticle and for manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventor: Akira Fujimura
  • Method and system for forming high precision patterns using charged particle beam lithography
    Patent number: 8745549
    Abstract: A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction or optical proximity correction or mask process correction is disclosed in which a set of charged particle beam shots is determined that is capable of forming a pattern on a surface, wherein critical dimension (CD) split is reduced through the use of overlapping shots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Robert C. Pack
  • Method for integrated circuit design and manufacture using diagonal minimum-width patterns
    Patent number: 8745555
    Abstract: Methods for designing and manufacturing an integrated circuit are disclosed, in which the physical design process for a standard cell or cells utilizes a preferred diagonal direction for minimum-width patterns on at least one layer, where the standard cell or cells are used in the layout of an integrated circuit. The methods also include forming the patterns on a photomask using model-based fracturing techniques with charged particle beam simulation, and forming the patterns on a substrate such a silicon wafer using the photomask and an optical lithographic process with directional illumination which is optimized for the preferred diagonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Larry Lam Chau, Tam Dinh Thanh Nguyen
  • Method for Forming Circular Patterns on a Surface
    Publication number: 20140134523
    Abstract: A method for forming patterns on a surface using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, in which a stencil is provided comprising first and second apertures, where circular or nearly-circular patterns in a first plurality of sizes are formed on the surface using the first aperture by varying shot dosage, and where circular or nearly-circular patterns in a second plurality of sizes are formed on the surface using the second aperture by varying shot dosage. A similar method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed. A stencil for charged particle beam lithography is also disclosed, where the stencil comprises first aperture and second apertures capable of forming, in one shot, patterns in a first and a second range of sizes on a surface by varying the shot dosage, where the first range of sizes is discontinuous with the second range of sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Michael Tucker
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIMENSIONAL UNIFORMITY USING CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140129996
    Abstract: A method for mask process correction or forming a pattern on a resist-coated reticle using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, where the sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in resist exposure of the reticle, and where the pattern exposure information is modified to lower the calculated sensitivity. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed, where pattern exposure information is determined that can form a pattern on a resist-coated reticle using charged particle beam lithography, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, and where the sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in resist exposure of the reticle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Kazuyuki Hagiwara, Robert C. Pack, Anatoly Aadamov
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIMENSIONAL UNIFORMITY USING CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140129997
    Abstract: A method for mask process correction or forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern, and where pattern exposure information is modified to increase edge slope of the reticle pattern where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is high. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed, where pattern exposure information is determined that can form a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, and where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Kazuyuki Hagiwara, Robert C. Pack
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING CRITICAL DIMENSION UNIFORMITY USING SHAPED BEAM LITHOGRAPHY
    Publication number: 20140127628
    Abstract: A method for forming a pattern on a surface using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, where the shots in an ordered set of input shots are modified within a subfield to reduce either a thermal variation or a maximum temperature of the surface during exposure by the charged particle beam writer. A method for fracturing or mask data processing is also disclosed, where an ordered set of shots is generated which will expose at least one subfield of a surface using a shaped beam charged particle beam writer, and where a temperature or a thermal variation generated on the surface during the exposure of one subfield is calculated. Additionally, a method for forming a pattern on a surface with an ordered set of shots using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, in which a blanking period following a shot is lengthened to reduce the maximum temperature of the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Ryan Pearman, Anatoly Aadamov
  • Method and system for forming patterns using charged particle beam lithography
    Patent number: 8719739
    Abstract: A method for mask data preparation (MDP) is disclosed, in which a set of shots is determined that will form a pattern on a reticle, where the determination includes calculating the pattern that will be formed on a substrate using an optical lithographic process with a reticle formed using the set of shots. A method for optical proximity correction (OPC) or MDP is also disclosed, in which a preliminary set of charged particle beam shots is generated using a preliminary mask model, and then the shots are modified by calculating both a reticle pattern using a final mask model, and a resulting substrate pattern. A method for OPC is also disclosed, in which an ideal pattern for a photomask is calculated from a desired substrate pattern, where the model used in the calculation includes only optical lithography effects and/or substrate processing effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Anatoly Aadamov, Eldar Khaliullin, Ingo Bork
  • Method and system for forming patterns with charged particle beam lithography
    Patent number: 8703389
    Abstract: In a method for fracturing or mask data preparation or mask process correction for charged particle beam lithography, a plurality of shots are determined that will form a pattern on a surface, where shots are determined so as to reduce sensitivity of the resulting pattern to changes in beam blur (?f). At least some shots in the plurality of shots overlap other shots. In some embodiments, ?f is reduced by controlling the amount of shot overlap in the plurality of shots, either during initial shot determination, or in a post-processing step. The reduced sensitivity to ?f expands the process window for the charged particle beam lithography process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Ingo Bork
  • Method for optical proximity correction of a reticle to be manufactured using shaped beam lithography
    Patent number: 8669023
    Abstract: In the field of semiconductor production using shaped charged particle beam lithography, a method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed, wherein a series of curvilinear character projection shots are determined for a charged particle beam writer system, such that the set of shots can form a continuous track, possibly of varying width, on a surface. A method for forming a continuous track on a surface using a series of curvilinear character projection shots is also disclosed. Methods for manufacturing a reticle and for manufacturing a substrate such as a silicon wafer by forming a continuous track on a surface using a series of curvilinear character projection shots is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Fujimura
  • Method for integrated circuit manufacturing and mask data preparation using curvilinear patterns
    Patent number: 8637211
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed, wherein during the physical design process, a curvilinear path is designed to represent an interconnecting wire on the fabricated semiconductor device. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation (MDP) is also disclosed in which a manhattan path which is part of the physical design of an integrated circuit is modified to create a curvilinear pattern, and where a set of charged particle beam shots is generated, where the set of shots is capable of forming the curvilinear pattern on a resist-coated surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Michael Tucker
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR STENCIL DESIGN FOR PARTICLE BEAM WRITING
    Publication number: 20140011124
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to particle beam writing to fabricate an integrated circuit on a wafer. In various embodiments, cell projection (CP) cell library information is stored in the form of a data structure. Subsequently, the CP cell library information is referenced by a writing system. The patterns are written on the wafer depending on the referenced CP cell library.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Dmitri Lapanik, Shohei Matsushita, Takashi Mitsuhashi, Zhigang Wu
  • Method and System for Design of a Reticle to be Manufactured Using Variable Shaped Beam Lithography
    Publication number: 20130337372
    Abstract: A surface manufactured using variable shaped beam (VSB) shots is disclosed, where either: 1) the left edge of a first VSB shot intersects the top edge of a second VSB shot, and the bottom edge of the first VSB shot intersects the right edge of the second VSB shot; or 2) the left edge of the first VSB shot intersects the bottom edge of a second VSB shot, and the top edge of the first VSB shot intersects the right edge of the second VSB shot; and where neither shot crosses a field boundary of the VSB charged particle beam writer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Lance A. Glasser
  • Method and system for forming patterns using charged particle beam lithography with multiple exposure passes
    Patent number: 8612901
    Abstract: A method and system for optical proximity correction or fracturing or mask data preparation or mask process correction or proximity effect correction for charged particle beam lithography are disclosed in which a set of shaped beam shots is determined which, when used in a shaped beam charged particle beam writer, will form a pattern on the surface, where the set of shots includes shots for a plurality of exposure passes, and where the determination of the shots includes increasing the dose margin of the pattern by adding a shot in a single exposure pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Fujimura
  • Method for forming circular patterns on a surface
    Patent number: 8609306
    Abstract: A method for fracturing or mask data preparation for shaped beam charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, in which a square or nearly-square contact or via pattern is input, and a set of charged particle beam shots is determined which will form a circular or nearly-circular pattern on a surface, where the area of the circular or nearly-circular pattern is within a pre-determined tolerance of the area of the input square or nearly-square contact or via pattern. Methods for forming a pattern on a surface and for manufacturing a semiconductor device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: D2S, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Michael Tucker
  • Method For Fracturing And Forming A Pattern Using Shaped Beam Charged Particle Beam Lithography
    Publication number: 20130316273
    Abstract: In the field of semiconductor production using shaped charged particle beam lithography, a method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed, wherein a plurality of circular or nearly-circular shaped beam shots can form a non-circular pattern on a surface. Methods for manufacturing a reticle and for manufacturing a substrate such as a silicon wafer by forming non-circular patterns on a surface using a plurality of circular or nearly-circular shaped beam shots is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: D2S, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Fujimura, Michael Tucker