Abstract: Candidate layout patterns can be assessed using a sparse pattern dictionary of known design layout patterns by determining sparse coefficients for each candidate pattern, reconstructing the respective candidate pattern, and determining reconstruction error. Any pattern with reconstruction error over a threshold value can be flagged. Compressive sampling can be employed, such as by projecting each candidate pattern onto a random line or a random matrix. The dictionary can be built by determining sparse coefficients of known patterns and respective basis function sets using matching pursuit, variants of SVD, and/or other techniques.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, article of manufacture, and computer system for optimization of a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or IC layout. The method includes: receiving input; organizing IC patterns; selecting IC patterns amongst the organized IC patterns; and optimizing a design of a manufacturing process of the IC layout based on the selected IC patterns.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, article of manufacture, and computer system for optimization of a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or IC layout. The method includes: receiving input; organizing IC patterns; selecting IC patterns amongst the organized IC patterns; and optimizing a design of a manufacturing process of the IC layout based on the selected IC patterns.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, article of manufacture, and computer system for optimization of a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or IC layout. The method includes: receiving input; organizing IC patterns; selecting IC patterns amongst the organized IC patterns; and optimizing a design of a manufacturing process of the IC layout based on the selected IC patterns.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, article of manufacture, and computer system for optimization of a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or IC layout. The method includes: receiving input; organizing IC patterns; selecting IC patterns amongst the organized IC patterns; and optimizing a design of a manufacturing process of the IC layout based on the selected IC patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithographic difficulty metric that is a function of an energy ratio factor that includes a ratio of hard-to-print energy to easy-to-print energy of the diffraction orders along an angular coordinate ?i of spatial frequency space, an energy entropy factor comprising energy entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate ?i, a phase entropy factor comprising phase entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate ?i, and a total energy entropy factor comprising total energy entropy of said diffraction orders. The hard-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders at values of the normalized radial coordinates r of spatial frequency space in a neighborhood of r=0 and in a neighborhood of r=1, and the easy-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders located at intermediate values of normalized radial coordinates r between the neighborhood of r=0 and the neighborhood of r=1.

Abstract: A system and method for generating test patterns for a pattern sensitive algorithm. The method comprises the steps extracting feature samples from a layout design; grouping feature samples into clusters; selecting at least one area from the layout design that covers a feature sample from each cluster; and saving each pattern layout covered by the at least one area as test patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithographic difficulty metric that is a function of an energy ratio factor that includes a ratio of hard-to-print energy to easy-to-print energy of the diffraction orders along an angular coordinate ?i spatial frequency space, an energy entropy factor comprising energy entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate ?i, a phase entropy factor comprising phase entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate ?i, and a total energy entropy factor comprising total energy entropy of said diffraction orders. The hard-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders at values of the normalized radial coordinates r of spatial frequency space in a neighborhood of r=0 and in a neighborhood of r=1, and the easy-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders located at intermediate values of normalized radial coordinates r between the neighborhood of r=0 and the neighborhood of r=1.

Abstract: A system and method for generating test patterns for a pattern sensitive algorithm. The method comprises the steps extracting feature samples from a layout design; grouping feature samples into clusters; selecting at least one area from the layout design that covers a feature sample from each cluster; and saving each pattern layout covered by the at least one area as test patterns.

Abstract: A computer program product for generating test patterns for a pattern sensitive algorithm. The program product includes code for extracting feature samples from a layout design; grouping feature samples into clusters; selecting at least one area from the layout design that covers a feature sample from each cluster; and saving each pattern layout covered by the at least one area as test patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of locating systematic defects in integrated circuits. The invention first performs a preliminary extracting and index processing of the circuit design and then performs feature searching. When performing the preliminary extracting and index processing the invention establishes a window grid for the circuit design and merges basis patterns with shapes in the circuit design within each window of the window grid. The invention transforms shapes in a each window into feature vectors by finding intersections between the basis patterns and the shapes in the windows. Then, the invention clusters the feature vectors to produce an index of feature vectors. After performing the extracting and index processing, the invention performs the process of feature searching by first identifying a defect region window of the circuit layout and similarly merging basis patterns with shapes in the defect region window. This merging process can include rotating and mirroring the shapes in the defect region.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for searching and classifying patterns in a VLSI design layout. A method is provided that includes generating a target vector using a two dimensional (2D) low discrepancy sequence; identifying layout regions in a design layout; generating a feature vector for a layout region; comparing a subset of sequence values in the target vector with sequence values in the feature vector as an initial filter, wherein the system for comparing determines that the layout region does not contain a match if a comparison of the subset of sequence values in the target vector with sequence values in the feature vector falls below a threshold; and outputting search results.

Abstract: A system of synthesizing layout patterns to test an optical proximity correction algorithm. The method comprises the steps of: embodying Walsh patterns in a set of Walsh pattern matrices; processing groups of matrices from the set of Walsh pattern matrices to form a set of test matrices; mapping the set of test matrices to a test pattern set.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of locating systematic defects in integrated circuits. The invention first performs a preliminary extracting and index processing of the circuit design and then performs feature searching. When performing the preliminary extracting and index processing the invention establishes a window grid for the circuit design and merges basis patterns with shapes in the circuit design within each window of the window grid. The invention transforms shapes in a each window into feature vectors by finding intersections between the basis patterns and the shapes in the windows. Then, the invention clusters the feature vectors to produce an index of feature vectors. After performing the extracting and index processing, the invention performs the process of feature searching by first identifying a defect region window of the circuit layout and similarly merging basis patterns with shapes in the defect region window. This merging process can include rotating and mirroring the shapes in the defect region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of locating systematic defects in integrated circuits. The invention first performs a preliminary extracting and index processing of the circuit design and then performs feature searching. When performing the preliminary extracting and index processing the invention establishes a window grid for the circuit design and merges basis patterns with shapes in the circuit design within each window of the window grid. The invention transforms shapes in a each window into feature vectors by finding intersections between the basis patterns and the shapes in the windows. Then, the invention clusters the feature vectors to produce an index of feature vectors. After performing the extracting and index processing, the invention performs the process of feature searching by first identifying a defect region window of the circuit layout and similarly merging basis patterns with shapes in the defect region window. This merging process can include rotating and mirroring the shapes in the defect region.

Abstract: A method of synthesizing layout patterns to test an optical proximity correction algorithm. The method comprises the steps of: embodying Walsh patterns in a set of Walsh pattern matrices; processing groups of matrices from the set of Walsh pattern matrices to form a set of test matrices; mapping the set of test matrices to a test pattern set.

Abstract: A system and method for generating test patterns for a pattern sensitive algorithm. The method comprises the steps extracting feature samples from a layout design; grouping feature samples into clusters; selecting at least one area from the layout design that covers a feature sample from each cluster; and saving each pattern layout covered by the at least one area as test patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of locating systematic defects in integrated circuits. Extracting and index processing of a circuit design and feature searching are performed. During extracting and index processing, a window grid for the circuit design is established and basis patterns are merged with shapes within each. Shapes in each window are transformed into feature vectors by finding intersections between basis patterns and shapes. Feature vectors are clustered to produce an index of feature vectors. During feature searching, a defect region window of the circuit layout is identified and basis patterns are merged with shapes in the defect region window. Shapes in the defect region window are transformed into defect vectors by finding intersections between basis patterns and shapes. Feature vectors similar to the defect vector are found using representative feature vectors from the index of feature vectors. Similarities and differences between defect vectors and feature vectors are analyzed.