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, in which a plurality of shaped beam shots is determined which will form a target pattern on a surface, within a predetermined tolerance, where the plurality of shaped beam shots includes a plurality of circular or nearly-circular character projection (CP) shots plus one or more non-circular shot, and where at least two shots in the plurality of circular or nearly-circular shots overlap. Methods for manufacturing a surface and for manufacturing a semiconductor device on a substrate are also disclosed.

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. Base dosages for a plurality of exposure passes are set and a multiplicity of shots for the plurality of exposure passes is exposed. The multiplicity of shots comprises two groups: a first group of shots for at least two exposures passes, wherein the union of shots for each exposure pass covers the same area, and where shots within an exposure pass are disjoint; and a second group of shots, where each shot in the second group of shots overlaps a shot in the first group of shots. Each shot in the second group is in one of the plurality of exposure passes. A method for forming a set of patterns on a surface is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation for charged particle beam lithography are disclosed in which accuracy and/or edge slope of a pattern formed on a surface by a set of charged particle beam shots is enhanced by use of partially-overlapping shots. In some embodiments, dosages of the shots may vary with respect to each other before proximity effect correction. Particle beam simulation may be used to calculate the pattern and the edge slope. Enhanced edge slope can improve critical dimension (CD) variation and line-edge roughness (LER) of the pattern produced on the surface.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus which reduces the weight, size and number of parts and also prevents ingress of rain water or dusts and leakage of differential gear oil has an axle housing supported under a body of a vehicle. A hollow drive shaft is inserted into the axle housing. A wheel bearing is arranged between the drive shaft and an opening of the axle housing and is structured as a unit including a wheel hub and a double row rolling bearing. The wheel bearing includes an inner member with a wheel hub integrally formed with a wheel mounting flange on one end and an axially extending cylindrical portion. At least one inner ring is press-fit onto the cylindrical portion of the wheel hub. The inner ring is formed with at least one of the inner raceway surfaces on its outer circumferential surface. An outer member is arranged around the inner member and formed with double row outer raceway surfaces on its inner circumferential surface opposite to the inner raceway surfaces.

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.

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.

Abstract: The present invention introduces methods, systems, and architectures for routing clock signals in an integrated circuit layout. The introduced clock signal clock signal structures are rendered with non Manhattan routing. In a first embodiment, the traditional recursive H clock signal structure is rendered after transforming the coordinates system such that a rotated recursive H clock signal structure is rendered. In another embodiment, a recursive Y structure is used to create a clock signal structure. The recursive Y structure may also be implemented in a rotated alignment. For clock signal redundancy, non Manhattan wiring may be used to create a clock signal mesh network.

Abstract: A charged particle beam writer system is disclosed comprising a generator for a charged particle beam having a beam blur radius, wherein the beam blur radius may be varied from shot to shot, or between two or more groups of shots. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or optical proximity correction is also disclosed comprising assigning a beam blur radius variation to each calculated charged particle beam writer shot. A method for forming a pattern on a surface is also disclosed comprising using a charged particle beam writer system and varying the beam blur radius from shot to shot. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit using optical lithography is also disclosed, comprising using a charged particle beam writer system to form a pattern on a reticle, and varying the beam blur radius of the charged particle beam writer system from shot to shot.

Abstract: The present invention increases the number of characters available on a stencil for charged particle beam lithography. A stencil for charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, comprising two character projection (CP) characters, wherein the blanking areas for the two CP characters overlap. A stencil is also disclosed comprising two CP characters with one or more optional characters between the two characters, wherein the optional characters can form meaningful patterns on a surface only in combination with one of the two characters. A stencil is also disclosed wherein the blanking area of a CP character extends beyond the boundary of the stencil's available character area. Methods for design of the aforementioned stencils are also disclosed.

Abstract: A character projection charged particle beam writer system is disclosed comprising a variable magnification reduction lens which will allow different shot magnifications on a shot by shot basis. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or optical proximity correction is also disclosed comprising assigning a magnification to each calculated charged particle beam writer shot. A method for forming a pattern on a surface is also disclosed comprising using a charged particle beam writer system and varying the magnification from shot to shot. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit using optical lithography is also disclosed, comprising using a charged particle beam writer system to form a pattern on a reticle, and varying the magnification of the charged particle beam writer system from shot to shot.

Abstract: A method and system for optimization of an image to be printed on a substrate using optical lithography is disclosed in which a set of charged particle beam shots, some of which overlap, is determined so as to form a target pattern on a surface such as a reticle. The charged particle beam shots are simulated to determine the pattern that would be formed on the surface. Next, a substrate image is calculated from the simulated surface pattern. One or more shots in the set of shots are then modified to improve the calculated substrate image.

Abstract: A stencil for character projection (CP) charged particle beam lithography and a method for manufacturing the stencil is disclosed, where the stencil contains two circular characters, where each character is capable of forming patterns on a surface in a range of sizes by using different dosages, and where the size ranges for the two characters is continuous. A method for forming circular patterns on a surface using variable-shaped beam (VSB) shots of different dosages is also disclosed. A method for forming circular patterns on a surface using a set of shots, where all of the shots comprise dosages, is also disclosed.

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. In some embodiments, characteristics of the continuous track will be within a predetermined tolerance.

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.

Abstract: A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or optical proximity correction is disclosed, wherein a plurality of variable shaped beam (VSB) shots are determined for at least one exposure pass, where the plurality of VSB shots forms a line pattern which is at a diagonal to the axes of a Cartesian coordinate plane, and where at least two neighboring shots in the same exposure pass overlap. Methods for manufacturing a surface using charged particle beam lithography and for manufacturing an integrated circuit using an optical lithography process are also disclosed.

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, wherein base dosages for a plurality of exposure passes are different from each other. Methods for manufacturing a reticle and manufacturing an integrated circuit are also disclosed, wherein a plurality of charged particle beam exposure passes are used, with base dosage levels being different for different exposure passes.

Abstract: A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction of a pattern to be formed on a surface is disclosed in which a plurality of variable shaped beam (VSB) shots are determined, and in which charged particle beam simulation is used to calculate the pattern which the plurality of VSB shots will form on the surface. At least two shots in the plurality of VSB shots overlap each other. In some embodiments, assigned dosages of at least two shots differ before proximity effect correction (PEC). In other embodiments an optimization technique may be used embodiments.

Abstract: A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed in which a series of charged particle beam shots is determined, where the series of shots is capable of forming a continuous non-manhattan track on a surface, such that the non-manhattan track has a line width roughness (LWR) which nearly equals a target LWR. A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is also disclosed in which at least two series of shots are determined, where each series of shots is capable of forming a continuous non-manhattan track on a surface, and where the space between tracks has space width roughness (SWR) which nearly equals a target SWR.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a process for designing and manufacturing an integrated circuit (“IC”). The process selects a wiring configuration and an illumination configuration. The process uses the selected wiring configuration to design an IC layout. The process then uses the selected illumination configuration to manufacture the IC based on the designed IC layout. Some embodiments concurrently select an optimal pair of wiring and illumination configurations. Other embodiments select an illumination configuration based on the selected wiring configuration. Yet other embodiments select a wiring configuration based on the selected illumination configuration. In some embodiments, selecting the illumination configuration entails selecting at least one stepper lens for the IC layout, where the stepper lens illuminates at least one mask for at least one particular layer of the IC layout. In some embodiments, this selection entails selecting a stepper lens for each particular layer of the IC layout.

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 shots of circular or nearly-circular character projection characters, having at least two shots that overlap, 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 character projection shots, where at least two shots overlap, is also disclosed.