Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes light source configured to generate an illuminating beam. The microscope apparatus further includes a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating beam into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a movable reflector module along the second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a moving mechanism connected to the movable reflector module, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the movable reflector in a first direction for adjusting a length of the second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. The microscope apparatus further includes an observing device configured to receive the recombined first component and second component.

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.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes light source configured to generate an illuminating beam. The microscope apparatus further includes a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating beam into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a movable reflector module along the second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a moving mechanism connected to the movable reflector module, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the movable reflector in a first direction for adjusting a length of the second path. The microscope apparatus further includes a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. The microscope apparatus further includes an observing device configured to receive the recombined first component and second component.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus including an electromagnetic wave source configured to generate an illuminating electromagnetic wave. The microscope apparatus includes a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path. The microscope apparatus includes a movable reflector module configured to adjust the second path. The microscope apparatus includes a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. The microscope apparatus includes an observing device arranged along the first path and configured to receive the recombined first component and second component. The microscope apparatus is configured to acquire, from the observing device, a phase image based on positioning of the movable reflector module and representative of an electric field distribution near an object located along the first path between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.

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.

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.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus including an electromagnetic wave source configured to generate an illuminating electromagnetic wave. The microscope apparatus includes a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path. The microscope apparatus includes a movable reflector module configured to adjust the second path. The microscope apparatus includes a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. The microscope apparatus includes an observing device arranged along the first path and configured to receive the recombined first component and second component. The microscope apparatus is configured to acquire, from the observing device, a phase image based on positioning of the movable reflector module and representative of an electric field distribution near an object located along the first path between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave source configured to generate an illuminating electromagnetic wave, a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path, a movable reflector module configured to adjust a portion of the second path, and a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. An observing device is configured to receive the recombined first component and second component and the microscope apparatus is configured acquire a phase image from the observing device based on positioning of the movable reflector module and representative of an electric field distribution near an object located along the first path between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.

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.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first conductive line disposed over a substrate. The first conductive line is located in a first interconnect layer and extends along a first direction. The semiconductor device includes a second conductive line and a third conductive line each extending along a second direction different from the first direction. The second and third conductive lines are located in a second interconnect layer that is different from the first interconnect layer. The second and third conductive lines are separated by a gap that is located over or below the first conductive line. The semiconductor device includes a fourth conductive line electrically coupling the second and third conductive lines together. The fourth conductive line is located in a third interconnect layer that is different from the first interconnect layer and the second interconnect layer.

Abstract: A method for performing optical proximity correction (OPC) and evaluating OPC solutions is disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a design database corresponding to an IC circuit mask. A first OPC modification to a mask feature of the design database is made by performing a first OPC process. The OPC process includes: dividing the mask feature into child shapes and adjusting an attribute of a child shape based on an edge placement error (EPE) factor. A first lithography simulation is performed utilizing a first set of performance indexes after making the first OPC modification, and a second OPC modification to the mask feature is made based on a result of the first lithography simulation. A second lithography simulation of the mask feature is performed utilizing a second set of performance indexes to verify the first and second OPC modifications, and the design database is provided for manufacturing.

Abstract: Methods and systems for design of integrated circuits including performing OPC are discussed. In one embodiment, design data having a geometric feature is provided. A base feature is formed from the geometric feature, which has a substantially linear edge. A pseudo dissection point is determined on the base feature. Add or trim a polygon from the base feature to form a modified feature. An OPC process is performed on the modified feature to generate an output design. The output design is used to fabricate a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method performed by a computer processing system includes receiving a design pattern for an integrated circuit, applying a function to the design pattern to generate a model contour, generating a plurality of Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) target points along the model contour, adjusting the design pattern to create an adjusted pattern, and performing a simulation on the adjusted pattern to create a simulated contour.

Abstract: Methods and systems for design of integrated circuits including performing OPC are discussed. In one embodiment, design data having a geometric feature is provided. A base feature is formed from the geometric feature, which has a substantially linear edge. A pseudo dissection point is determined on the base feature. Add or trim a polygon from the base feature to form a modified feature. An OPC process is performed on the modified feature to generate an output design. The output design is used to fabricate a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method performed by a computer processing system includes receiving a design pattern for an integrated circuit, applying a function to the design pattern to generate a model contour, generating a plurality of Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) target points along the model contour, adjusting the design pattern to create an adjusted pattern, and performing a simulation on the adjusted pattern to create a simulated contour.

Abstract: An embodiment of a feed-forward method of determining a photomask pattern is provided. The method includes providing design data associated with an integrated circuit device. A thickness of a coating layer to be used in fabricating the integrated circuit device is predicted based on the design data. This prediction is used to generate a gradating pattern. A photomask is formed having the gradating pattern.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave source configured to generate an illuminating electromagnetic wave, a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into a first component along a first path and a second component along a second path, a movable reflector module configured to adjust a portion of the second path, and a second beam splitter configured to recombine the first component and the second component. An observing device is configured to receive the recombined first component and second component and the microscope apparatus is configured acquire a phase image from the observing device based on positioning of the movable reflector module and representative of an electric field distribution near an object located along the first path between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes a condenser lens to make an illuminating electromagnetic wave relatively homogeneous, a first beam splitter splitting the illuminating electromagnetic wave after the condenser lens, a movable reflector module, a second beam splitter, an objective lens to project the illuminating electromagnetic wave propagating after an object to be observed toward an observing device. The object is loaded between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter. The microscope apparatus is configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into two paths at the first beam splitter. A first path goes through the first and the second beam splitters, and a second path goes through the movable reflector module to rejoin the first path at the second beam splitter. The microscope apparatus is configured acquire phase images with interferences of the electromagnetic wave from the two paths with at least two distance settings of the movable reflector module.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first conductive line disposed over a substrate. The first conductive line is located in a first interconnect layer and extends along a first direction. The semiconductor device includes a second conductive line and a third conductive line each extending along a second direction different from the first direction. The second and third conductive lines are located in a second interconnect layer that is different from the first interconnect layer. The second and third conductive lines are separated by a gap that is located over or below the first conductive line. The semiconductor device includes a fourth conductive line electrically coupling the second and third conductive lines together. The fourth conductive line is located in a third interconnect layer that is different from the first interconnect layer and the second interconnect layer.

Abstract: A method of designing an IC design layout having similar patterns filled with a plurality of indistinguishable dummy features, in a way to distinguish all the patterns, and an IC design layout so designed. To distinguish each pattern in the layout, deviations in size and/or position from some predetermined equilibrium values are encoded into a set of selected dummy features in each pattern at the time of creating dummy features during the design stage. By identifying such encoded dummy features and measuring the deviations from image information provided by, for example, a SEM picture of a wafer or photomask, the corresponding pattern can be located in the IC layout. For quicker and easier identification of the encoded dummy features from a given pattern, a set of predetermined anchor dummy features may be used.