Abstract: Systems and methods for performing local Critical Dimension Uniformity (CDU) modeling in a virtual fabrication environment are discussed. More particularly, local CD variance is replicated in the virtual fabrication environment in order to produce a CDU mask that can be used during a virtual fabrication sequence to produce more accurate results reflecting the CD variance of features that occurs in a pattern for a semiconductor device being physically fabricated.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 21, 2021
Date of Patent:
April 7, 2026
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Qing Peng Wang, Yu De Chen, Shi-hao Huang, Rui Bao, Joseph Ervin
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that includes an analytics module for performing key parameter identification, process model calibration and variability analysis is discussed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 7, 2023
Date of Patent:
November 18, 2025
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
William J. Egan, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Anshuman Kunwar
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that includes an analytics module for performing process window optimization is discussed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 8, 2020
Date of Patent:
September 23, 2025
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
William J. Egan, Anshuman Kunwar, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried
Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-material mesh generation from fill-fraction voxel model data are discussed. Voxel representations of model data are used to generate robust and accurate multi-material meshes. More particularly, a mesh generation pipeline in a virtual fabrication environment is described that robustly generates high-quality triangle surface and tetrahedral volume meshes from multi-material fill-fraction voxel data. Multi-material topology is accurately captured while preserving characteristic feature edges of the model.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 15, 2019
Date of Patent:
September 10, 2024
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel Sieger, Kenneth B. Greiner, Daniel Faken, Vincent Baudet, Stéphane Calderon
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that includes an analytics module for performing key parameter identification, process model calibration and variability analysis is discussed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 16, 2021
Date of Patent:
January 2, 2024
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
William J. Egan, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Anshuman Kunwar
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device structures that includes the use of virtual metrology measurement data to optimize a virtual fabrication sequence is described. Further, calibration of the virtual fabrication environment is performed by comparing virtual metrology measurement data from a virtual fabrication run with a subset of measurements performed in a physical fabrication environment. Additionally, virtual experiments conducted in the virtual fabrication environment of the present invention generate multiple device structure models using ranges of process and design parameter variations for an integrated process flow and design space of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 23, 2021
Date of Patent:
April 18, 2023
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenneth B. Greiner, Stephen R. Breit, David M. Fried, Daniel Faken
Abstract: Systems and methods for performing depth-dependent oxidation modeling and depth-dependent etch modeling in a virtual fabrication environment are discussed. More particularly, a virtual fabrication environment models, as part of a process sequence, oxidant dispersion in a depth-dependent manner and simulates the subsequent oxidation reaction based on the determined oxidant thickness along an air/silicon interface. Further the virtual fabrication environment performs depth-dependent etch modeling as part of a process sequence to determine etchant concentration and simulate the etching of material along an air/material interface.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 28, 2022
Date of Patent:
April 4, 2023
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Qing Peng Wang, Shi-hao Huang, Yu De Chen, Joseph Ervin
Abstract: Systems and methods for performing depth-dependent oxidation modeling and depth-dependent etch modeling in a virtual fabrication environment are discussed. More particularly, a virtual fabrication environment models, as part of a process sequence, oxidant dispersion in a depth-dependent manner and simulates the subsequent oxidation reaction based on the determined oxidant thickness along an air/silicon interface. Further the virtual fabrication environment performs depth-dependent etch modeling as part of a process sequence to determine etchant concentration and simulate the etching of material along an air/material interface.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 22, 2020
Date of Patent:
April 12, 2022
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Qing Peng Wang, Shi-Hao Huang, Yu De Chen, Rui Bao, Joseph Ervin
Abstract: A six transistor SRAM memory cell design is discussed. An SRAM memory cell includes criss-crossed transistors in cross-coupled inverters to achieve a more compact form factor and simplify fabrication.
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that includes an analytics module for performing key parameter identification, process model calibration and variability analysis is discussed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 18, 2018
Date of Patent:
October 12, 2021
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
William J. Egan, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Anshuman Kunwar
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device structures that includes the use of virtual metrology measurement data to optimize a virtual fabrication sequence is described. Further, calibration of the virtual fabrication environment is performed by comparing virtual metrology data generated from a virtual fabrication run with a subset of measurements performed in a physical fabrication environment. Additionally, virtual experiments conducted in the virtual fabrication environment of the present invention generate multiple device structure models using ranges of process and design parameter variations for an integrated process flow and design space of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 25, 2019
Date of Patent:
July 27, 2021
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenneth B. Greiner, Stephen R. Breit, David M. Fried, Daniel Faken
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device structures that includes the use of virtual metrology measurement data to optimize a virtual fabrication sequence is described. Further, calibration of the virtual fabrication environment is performed by comparing virtual metrology data generated from a virtual fabrication run with a subset of measurements performed in a physical fabrication environment. Additionally, virtual experiments conducted in the virtual fabrication environment of the present invention generate multiple device structure models using ranges of process and design parameter variations for an integrated process flow and design space of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 1, 2019
Date of Patent:
June 29, 2021
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenneth B. Greiner, Daniel Faken, David M. Fried, Stephen R. Breit
Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-material mesh generation from fill-fraction voxel model data are discussed. Voxel representations of model data are used to generate robust and accurate multi-material meshes. More particularly, a mesh generation pipeline in a virtual fabrication environment is described that robustly generates high-quality triangle surface and tetrahedral volume meshes from multi-material fill-fraction voxel data. Multi-material topology is accurately captured while preserving characteristic feature edges of the model.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 15, 2019
Publication date:
January 14, 2021
Applicant:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel Sieger, Kenneth B. Greiner, Daniel Faken, Vincent Baudet, Stéphane Calderon
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that determines a lowest lithography exposure dose range in which one or more defects are still reparable by deposition and etch operations is discussed. Further techniques for repairing line edge roughness caused by lithography are described.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 24, 2019
Date of Patent:
January 5, 2021
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel Sobieski, Rich Wise, Yang Pan, David M. Fried, Jiangjiang Gu
Abstract: Modeling of electrical behavior during the virtual fabrication of a semiconductor device structure is discussed. Electrical behavior occurring in a designated region of a semiconductor device structure may be determined during the virtual fabrication process. For example, resistance or capacitance values may be determined within a modeling domain of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 30, 2017
Date of Patent:
September 1, 2020
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Mattan Kamon, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Vasanth Allampalli, Yiguang Yan
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device structures that includes the use of virtual metrology measurement data to optimize a virtual fabrication sequence is described. Further, calibration of the virtual fabrication environment is performed by comparing virtual metrology data generated from a virtual fabrication run with a subset of measurements performed in a physical fabrication environment. Additionally, virtual experiments conducted in the virtual fabrication environment of the present invention generate multiple device structure models using ranges of process and design parameter variations for an integrated process flow and design space of interest.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 2013
Date of Patent:
March 26, 2019
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenneth B. Greiner, Stephen R. Breit, David M. Fried, Daniel Faken
Abstract: The modeling of a DSA step within a virtual fabrication process sequence for a semiconductor device structure is discussed. A 3D model is created by the virtual fabrication that represents and depicts the possible variation that can result from applying the DSA step as part of the larger fabrication sequence for the semiconductor device structure of interest. Embodiments capture the relevant behavior caused by polymer segregation into separate domains thereby allowing the modeling of the DSA step to take place with a speed appropriate for a virtual fabrication flow.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 4, 2016
Date of Patent:
May 8, 2018
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Mattan Kamon, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried
Abstract: Improving semiconductor device fabrication by enabling the identification and modeling of pattern dependent effects of fabrication processes is discussed. In one embodiment a local mask is generated from a 3-D model of a semiconductor device structure that was created in a 3-D virtual semiconductor fabrication environment from 2-D design layout data and a fabrication process sequence. The local mask is combined with a global mask based on the original design layout data to create a combined mask. The combined mask is convolved with at least one proximity function to generate a loading map which may be used to modify the behavior of one or more processes in the process sequence. This behavior modification enables the 3-D virtual semiconductor fabrication environment to deliver more accurate 3-D models that better predict the 3-D device structure when performing the virtual semiconductor device fabrication that serves as a prelude to physical fabrication.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 26, 2015
Date of Patent:
May 23, 2017
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Mattan Kamon, Daniel Faken
Abstract: A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device structure development is discussed that enables the use of a selective epitaxy process to virtually model epitaxial growth of a crystalline material layer. The epitaxial growth occurs on a crystalline substrate surface of a virtually fabricated model device structure. A surface growth rate may be defined over possible 3D surface orientations of the virtually fabricated device structure by modeling the growth rates of the three major families of crystal planes. Growth rates along neighboring non-crystalline material may also be modeled.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 2013
Date of Patent:
April 19, 2016
Assignee:
Coventor, Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel Faken, Kenneth B. Greiner, David M. Fried, Stephen R. Breit
Abstract: A 3-D multi-physics design environment (“3-D design environment”) for designing and simulating multi-physics devices such as MEMS devices is discussed. The 3-D design environment is programmatically integrated with a system modeling environment that is suitable for system-level design and simulation of analog-signal ICs, mixed-signal ICs and multi-physics systems. A parameterized MEMS device model is created in a 3-D graphical view in the 3-D design environment using parameterized model components that are each associated with an underlying behavioral model. After the MEMS device model is completed, it may be exported to a system modeling environment without subjecting the model to preliminary finite element meshing.