Patents by Inventor Robert A. Soper

Robert A. Soper 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: 6807661
    Abstract: Correcting a mask pattern includes partitioning the mask pattern to yield templates. The following is repeated for each template to generate correction data: a clip mask is generated for a template selected as a main template; the main template is merged with context templates to yield a merged template; the merged template is divided to yield segments including clip segments, where an intersection of the clip mask and the merged template defines an endpoint of a clip segment; a proximity correction procedure is performed on the segments to yield a corrected template; and correction data of the corrected template is selected according to the clip mask. The correction data for the templates are aggregated to correct the mask pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert A. Soper
  • Publication number: 20040181767
    Abstract: Correcting a mask pattern includes partitioning the mask pattern to yield templates. The following is repeated for each template to generate correction data: a clip mask is generated for a template selected as a main template; the main template is merged with context templates to yield a merged template; the merged template is divided to yield segments including clip segments, where an intersection of the clip mask and the merged template defines an endpoint of a clip segment; a proximity correction procedure is performed on the segments to yield a corrected template; and correction data of the corrected template is selected according to the clip mask. The correction data for the templates are aggregated to correct the mask pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert A. Soper
  • Patent number: 6787469
    Abstract: A system for fabricating a mixed voltage integrated circuit is disclosed in which a gate is provided that contains a gate oxide and a gate conductor on a substrate. A first mask is deposited to pattern the length of the gate by etching, and a second mask pattern is deposited and used to etch the width of the gate, with or without a hard mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Robert A. Soper, Thomas J. Aton
  • Patent number: 6785878
    Abstract: Correcting a mask pattern includes accessing a record associated with an uncorrected pattern that comprises segments. The record associates each segment with a correction grid of a number of correction grids, where each correction grid comprises points. A segment is selected, and an optimal correction for the segment is determined. A correction grid associated with the segment is determined. The segment is snapped to a subset of points of the associated correction grid, where the subset of points is proximate to the optimal correction, to form a corrected pattern of a mask pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert A. Soper, Carl A. Vickery, III
  • Patent number: 6764795
    Abstract: A method and system for mask pattern correction are disclosed. A portion of a mask pattern is segmented into segments (22) that include a base segment (22a) and a relational segment (22b). The relational segment (22b) is matched with the base segment (22a). A proximity correction is determined for the base segment (22a), and a critical dimension correction is determined for the relational segment (22b). The critical dimension correction is determined with respect to the proximity correction of the matching base segment (22a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas J. Aton, Robert A. Soper
  • Publication number: 20040023127
    Abstract: Correcting a mask pattern includes accessing a record associated with an uncorrected pattern that comprises segments. The record associates each segment with a correction grid of a number of correction grids, where each correction grid comprises points. A segment is selected, and an optimal correction for the segment is determined. A correction grid associated with the segment is determined. The segment is snapped to a subset of points of the associated correction grid, where the subset of points is proximate to the optimal correction, to form a corrected pattern of a mask pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert A. Soper, Carl A. Vickery
  • Publication number: 20030124847
    Abstract: A system for fabricating a mixed voltage integrated circuit is disclosed in which a gate is provided that contains a gate oxide and a gate conductor on a substrate. A first mask is deposited to pattern the length of the gate by etching, and a second mask pattern is deposited and used to etch the width of the gate, with or without a hard mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Theodore W. Houston, Robert A. Soper, Thomas J. Aton
  • Publication number: 20030039898
    Abstract: A method and system for mask pattern correction are disclosed. A portion of a mask pattern is segmented into segments (22) that include a base segment (22a) and a relational segment (22b). The relational segment (22b) is matched with the base segment (22a). A proximity correction is determined for the base segment (22a), and a critical dimension correction is determined for the relational segment (22b). The critical dimension correction is determined with respect to the proximity correction of the matching base segment (22a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas J. Aton, Robert A. Soper