Patents by Inventor Chi-Ping Liu

Chi-Ping Liu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11308256
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide a method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC). The method includes receiving an IC design layout; performing optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the IC design layout to produce a corrected IC design layout; and verifying the corrected IC design layout using a machine learning algorithm. The post OPC verification includes using the machine learning algorithm to identify one or more features of the corrected IC design layout; comparing the one or more identified features to a database comprising a plurality of features; and verifying the corrected IC design layout based on labels in the database associated with the plurality of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wen-Chun Huang, Wei-Chen Chien, Chi-Ping Liu
  • Patent number: 11048161
    Abstract: Optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein for enhancing lithography printability. An exemplary mask optimization method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout having an IC pattern; generating target points for a contour corresponding with the IC pattern based on a target placement model, wherein the target placement model is selected based on a classification of the IC pattern; and performing an OPC on the IC pattern using the target points, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The method can further include fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC can select an OPC model based on the classification of the IC pattern. The OPC model can weight the target placement model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Feng-Ju Chang, Ching-Hsu Chang, Wen Hao Liu, Chia-Feng Yeh, Ming-Hui Chih, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang, Yu-Po Tang
  • Publication number: 20200320246
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide a method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC). The method includes receiving an IC design layout; performing optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the IC design layout to produce a corrected IC design layout; and verifying the corrected IC design layout using a machine learning algorithm. The post OPC verification includes using the machine learning algorithm to identify one or more features of the corrected IC design layout; comparing the one or more identified features to a database comprising a plurality of features; and verifying the corrected IC design layout based on labels in the database associated with the plurality of features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Hung-Chun WANG, Cheng Kun TSAI, Wen-Chun HUANG, Wei-Chen CHIEN, Chi-Ping LIU
  • Patent number: 10691864
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide a method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC). The method includes receiving an IC design layout; performing optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the IC design layout to produce a corrected IC design layout; and verifying the corrected IC design layout using a machine learning algorithm. The post OPC verification includes using the machine learning algorithm to identify one or more features of the corrected IC design layout; comparing the one or more identified features to a database comprising a plurality of features; and verifying the corrected IC design layout based on labels in the database associated with the plurality of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wen-Chun Huang, Wei-Chen Chien, Chi-Ping Liu
  • Publication number: 20200142294
    Abstract: Optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein for enhancing lithography printability. An exemplary mask optimization method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout having an IC pattern; generating target points for a contour corresponding with the IC pattern based on a target placement model, wherein the target placement model is selected based on a classification of the IC pattern; and performing an OPC on the IC pattern using the target points, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The method can further include fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC can select an OPC model based on the classification of the IC pattern. The OPC model can weight the target placement model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Feng-Ju Chang, Ching-Hsu Chang, Wen Hao Liu, Chia-Feng Yeh, Ming-Hui Chih, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang, Yu-Po Tang
  • Patent number: 10527928
    Abstract: Optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein for enhancing lithography printability. An exemplary mask optimization method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout having an IC pattern; generating target points for a contour corresponding with the IC pattern based on a target placement model, wherein the target placement model is selected based on a classification of the IC pattern; and performing an OPC on the IC pattern using the target points, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The method can further include fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC can select an OPC model based on the classification of the IC pattern. The OPC model can weight the target placement model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Feng-Ju Chang, Ching-Hsu Chang, Wen Hao Liu, Chia-Feng Yeh, Ming-Hui Chih, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang, Yu-Po Tang
  • Patent number: 10520829
    Abstract: Examples of optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes receiving an IC design layout that includes an IC feature, the IC feature specifying a mask feature for selectively exposing to radiation a portion of a photoresist disposed on a substrate; determining topographical information of an underlying layer disposed on the substrate between the photoresist and the substrate; performing an OPC process on the IC feature to generate a modified IC feature; and providing a modified IC design layout including the modified IC feature for fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC process may use the topographical information of the underlying layer to compensate for an amount of radiation directed towards the portion of the photoresist so as to expose the portion of the photoresist to a target dosage of radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang
  • Publication number: 20190147134
    Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide a method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC). The method includes receiving an IC design layout; performing optical proximity correction (OPC) process to the IC design layout to produce a corrected IC design layout; and verifying the corrected IC design layout using a machine learning algorithm. The post OPC verification includes using the machine learning algorithm to identify one or more features of the corrected IC design layout; comparing the one or more identified features to a database comprising a plurality of features; and verifying the corrected IC design layout based on labels in the database associated with the plurality of features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wen-Chun Huang, Wei-Chen Chien, Chi-Ping Liu
  • Publication number: 20190094710
    Abstract: Examples of optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes receiving an IC design layout that includes an IC feature, the IC feature specifying a mask feature for selectively exposing to radiation a portion of a photoresist disposed on a substrate; determining topographical information of an underlying layer disposed on the substrate between the photoresist and the substrate; performing an OPC process on the IC feature to generate a modified IC feature; and providing a modified IC design layout including the modified IC feature for fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC process may use the topographical information of the underlying layer to compensate for an amount of radiation directed towards the portion of the photoresist so as to expose the portion of the photoresist to a target dosage of radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang
  • Publication number: 20180173090
    Abstract: Optical proximity correction (OPC) based computational lithography techniques are disclosed herein for enhancing lithography printability. An exemplary mask optimization method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout having an IC pattern; generating target points for a contour corresponding with the IC pattern based on a target placement model, wherein the target placement model is selected based on a classification of the IC pattern; and performing an OPC on the IC pattern using the target points, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The method can further include fabricating a mask based on the modified IC design layout. The OPC can select an OPC model based on the classification of the IC pattern. The OPC model can weight the target placement model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Hung-Chun Wang, Chi-Ping Liu, Feng-Ju Chang, Ching-Hsu Chang, Wen Hao Liu, Chia-Feng Yeh, Ming-Hui Chih, Cheng Kun Tsai, Wei-Chen Chien, Wen-Chun Huang, Yu-Po Tang