Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. In some embodiments, the integrated chip has a first plurality of source and drain regions disposed within a substrate along a first line extending in a first direction. A plurality of gate structures are arranged over the substrate at a substantially regular pitch, and a plurality of middle-of-the-line (MOL) structures are respectively interleaved between adjacent ones of the plurality of gate structures. The plurality of MOL structures include MOL active structures that are electrically coupled to an overlying conductive interconnect and MOL dummy structures that are not electrically coupled to any overlying conductive interconnect. The plurality of MOL structures are arranged over the first plurality of source and drain regions at an irregular pitch that is larger than the substantially regular pitch.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first layer on a substrate; forming a first plurality of trenches in the first layer by a patterning process; and forming a second plurality of trenches in the first layer by another patterning process, resulting in combined trench patterns in the first layer. A first trench of the second plurality connects two trenches of the first plurality. The method further includes forming dielectric spacer features on sidewalls of the combined trench patterns. A space between two opposing sidewalls of the first trench is completely filled by the dielectric spacer features and another space between two opposing sidewalls of one of the two trenches is partially filled by the dielectric spacer features.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) uses a first lithography technique having a first resolution and a second lithography technique having a second resolution lower than the first resolution. The method includes deriving a graph from an IC layout, the graph having vertices and edges that connect some of the vertices, the vertices representing IC patterns in the IC layout, the edges representing spacing between the IC patterns that are smaller than the second resolution. The method further includes classifying the edges into at least two types, a first type of edges representing spacing that is smaller than the first resolution, a second type of edges representing spacing that is equal to or greater than the first resolution but smaller than the second resolution.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming patterns in a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a substrate and a patterning-target layer over the substrate; patterning the patterning-target layer to form a main pattern; forming a middle layer over the patterning-target layer and a hard mask layer over the middle layer; patterning the hard mask layer to form a first cut pattern; patterning the hard mask layer to form a second cut pattern, a combined cut pattern being formed in the hard mask layer as a union of the first cut pattern and the second cut pattern; transferring the combined cut pattern to the middle layer; etching the patterning-target layer using the middle layer as an etching mask to form a final pattern in the patterning-target layer. In some embodiments, the final pattern includes the main pattern subtracting an intersection portion between main pattern and the combined cut pattern.

Abstract: Provided is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device including generating an ideal image using measured contour data and fitted conventional model terms. The method further includes using the fitted conventional model terms and a mask layout to provide a conventional model aerial image. In some embodiments, the method further includes generating a plurality of mask raster images using the mask layout, where the plurality of mask raster images is generated for each measurement site of the measured contour data. In various embodiments, the method also include training a neural network to mimic the ideal image, where the generated ideal image provides a target output of the neural network, and where the conventional model aerial image and the plurality of mask raster images provide inputs to the neural network.

Abstract: A method for semiconductor manufacturing includes providing a substrate, forming a patterning layer over the substrate, and patterning the patterning layer to form a hole in the patterning layer. The method also includes applying a first directional etching to two inner sidewalls of the hole to expand the hole along a first direction and applying a second directional etching to another two inner sidewalls of the hole to expand the hole along a second direction that is different from the first direction.

Abstract: A technique for patterning a workpiece such as an integrated circuit workpiece is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a dataset specifying a plurality features to be formed on the workpiece. A first patterning of a hard mask of the workpiece is performed based on a first set of features of the plurality of features, and a first spacer material is deposited on a sidewall of the patterned hard mask. A second patterning is performed based on a second set of features, and a second spacer material is deposited on a sidewall of the first spacer material. A third patterning is performed based on a third set of features. A portion of the workpiece is selectively processed using a pattern defined by a remainder of at least one of the patterned hard mask layer, the first spacer material, or the second spacer material.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes various non-planar semiconductor devices, such as fin field-effect transistors (finFETs) to provide an example, having one or more metal rail conductors and various methods for fabricating these non-planar semiconductor devices. In some situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be electrically connected to gate, source, and/or drain regions of these various non-planar semiconductor devices. In these situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be utilized to electrically connect the gate, the source, and/or the drain regions of various non-planar semiconductor devices to other gate, source, and/or drain regions of various non-planar semiconductor devices and/or other semiconductor devices. However, in other situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be isolated from the gate, the source, and/or the drain regions these various non-planar semiconductor devices.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing method includes receiving an IC design layout having IC regions separate from each other. Each of the IC regions includes an initial IC pattern that is substantially identical among the IC regions. The method further includes identifying a group of IC regions from the IC regions. All IC regions in the group have a substantially same location effect, which is introduced by global locations of the IC regions on the IC design layout. The method further includes performing a correction process to a first IC region in the group, modifying the initial IC pattern in the first IC region into a first corrected IC pattern. The correction process includes using a computer program to correct location effect. The method further includes replacing the initial IC pattern in a second IC region in the group with the first corrected IC pattern.

Abstract: Various patterning methods involved with manufacturing semiconductor device structures are disclosed herein. A method for forming a semiconductor device structure (for example, a conductive line) includes forming a first hard mask layer and a second hard mask layer over a dielectric layer. The first hard mask layer has a first opening, and the second hard mask layer has a first trench connected to the first opening. A filling layer is formed in the first opening, where the filling layer has a second opening and a third opening. The first hard mask layer and the dielectric layer are removed through the second opening and the third opening to form a second trench and a third trench in the dielectric layer. The first hard mask layer, the second hard mask layer, and the filling layer can be removed. A conductive layer is formed in the second trench and the third trench.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a set of active regions in a substrate, a first set of conductive structures, a shallow trench isolation (STI) region, a set of gates and a first set of vias. The set of active regions extend in a first direction and is located on a first level. The first set of conductive structures and the STI region extend in at least the first direction or a second direction, is located on the first level, and is between the set of active regions. The STI region is between the set of active regions and the first set of conductive structures. The set of gates extend in the second direction and overlap the first set of conductive structures. The first set of vias couple the first set of conductive structures to the set of gates.

Abstract: A directional patterning method includes following steps. A substrate is provided with a mask layer thereon, and the mask layer has at least one opening pattern therein. A cyclic deposition and etching process is performed to increase a length of the at least one opening pattern.

Abstract: A method includes providing a substrate comprising a material layer and a hard mask layer; patterning the hard mask layer to form hard mask lines; forming a spacer layer over the substrate, including over the hard mask lines, resulting in trenches defined by the spacer layer, wherein the trenches track the hard mask lines; forming a antireflective layer over the spacer layer, including over the trenches; forming an L-shaped opening in the antireflective layer, thereby exposing at least two of the trenches; filling the L-shaped opening with a fill material; etching the spacer layer to expose the hard mask lines; removing the hard mask lines; after removing the hard mask lines, transferring a pattern of the spacer layer and the fill material onto the material layer, resulting in second trenches tracking the pattern; and filling the second trenches with a conductive material.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including multiple fins. At least a first set of fins among the multiple fins is substantially parallel. At least a second set of fins among the multiple fins is substantially collinear. For any given first and second fins of the multiple fins having corresponding first and second fin-thicknesses, the second fin-thickness is less than plus or minus about 50% of the first fin-thickness.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including operations of forming a first hard mask over an underlying layer on a substrate by a photolithographic and etching method, forming a sidewall spacer pattern having a first sidewall portion and a second sidewall portion on opposing sides of the first hard mask, etching the first sidewall portion, etching the first hard mask and leaving the second sidewall portion bridging a gap of the etched first hard mask, and processing the underlying layer using the second hard mask.

Abstract: A method includes establishing a simulation process for simulating fabrication of a structure on a wafer. The simulation process includes multiple simulation steps for simulating multiple wafer fabrication steps respectively, and further includes a step of testing the structure that produces a result representing quality of the structure. Each of the simulation steps has a respective adjustable process parameter. The method further includes specifying a respective workable range for each process parameter and running the simulation process in iterations using a wafer process simulator until the result becomes optimal. During the running of the simulation process, every two consecutive iterations either adjust two different process parameters within their workable ranges or adjust a same process parameter at opposite directions within its workable range.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit includes generating a first layout design based on design criteria, performing a color mapping between the first layout design and a standard cell layout design thereby generating a via color layout design, and manufacturing the integrated circuit based on the via color layout design. The first layout design has a first set of vias divided into sub-sets of vias based on a corresponding color indicating that vias of the sub-set of vias with a same color, and vias of the sub-set of vias with a different color. The standard cell layout design has a second set of vias arranged in standard cells. The via color layout design has a third set of vias including a portion of the second set of vias and corresponding locations, and color of the corresponding sub-set of vias.

Abstract: Various examples of a technique for performing optical proximity correction and for forming a photomask are provided herein. In some examples, a layout is received that includes a shape to be formed on a photomask. A plurality of target lithographic contours are determined for the shape that includes a first target contour for a first set of process conditions and a second target contour that is different from the first target contour for a second set of process conditions. A lithographic simulation of the layout is performed to produce a first simulated contour at the first set of process conditions and a second simulated contour at the second set of process conditions. A modification to the layout is determined based on edge placement errors between the first simulated contour and the first target contour and between the second simulated contour and the second target contour.

Abstract: A lithography patterning system includes a reticle having patterned features, a pellicle having a plurality of openings, a radiation source configured for emitting radiation to reflect and/or project the patterned features, and one or more mirrors configured for guiding reflected and/or projected patterned features onto a wafer. The pellicle is configured to protect the reticle against particles and floating contaminants. The plurality of openings include between 5% and 99.9% of lateral surface area of the pellicle. The pellicle can be attached to the reticle on a side of the patterned features, placed beside an optical path between the radiation source and the wafer, or placed in an optical path between mirrors and the radiation source. The plurality of openings in the pellicle are formed by a plurality of bar shaped materials, or formed in a honey comb structure or a mesh structure.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a lithographic mask for an integrated circuit includes performing an optical proximity correction (OPC) process to an integrated circuit mask layout to produce a corrected mask layout. The method further includes performing an inverse lithographic technology (ILT) process to the corrected mask layout to enhance the corrected mask layout to produce an OPC-ILT-enhanced mask layout. The method also includes performing an inverse lithographic technology (ILT) process to the corrected mask layout to enhance the corrected mask layout to produce an OPC-ILT-enhanced mask layout.