Claims
- 1. A method for writing a mask, comprising:
generating integrated circuit design data; and using information for interfeature relationships of the integrated circuit design data to write the mask.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interfeature relationships are on one layer of the integrated circuit design.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interfeature relationships are across multiple layers of the integrated circuit design.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interfeature relationships comprise:
interfeature process proximity effects; interfeature coupling across layers; interfeature electronic relationships; or wire interconnects longer than a given length.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the information for interfeature relationships to write the mask further comprises:
passing the information for interfeature relationships to a mask writing system.
- 6. A method for generating a lithography mask or a printed wafer, comprising:
generating integrated circuit design data; and using context information from the integrated circuit design data to write the mask or printed wafer.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein using context information comprises:
analyzing mask features for contextual priority.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein using context information comprises:
assigning priorities to the mask features.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning priorities to the mask features comprises:
applying criteria to mask design data by manual process.
- 10. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning priorities to the mask features comprises:
applying criteria to mask design data by computer-aided automated process.
- 11. The method of claim 6, wherein using context information comprises:
analyzing mask features to determine the circuit element expected to be produced by a lithography system at a chip wafer surface.
- 12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
configuring a mask design database to include additional contextual mask design data generated in using the contextual information from the integrated circuit design data.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
configuring the mask design database to optimize an order of mask design data for use by a mask writing system.
- 14. The method of claim 6, wherein using context information comprises:
passing context information to a mask writing system.
- 15. The method of claim 6, wherein using context information comprises:
controlling a mask writing system based on the context information.
- 16. An apparatus for mask writing comprising:
means for generating a design of an integrated circuit design; means for producing circuit contextual information for the integrated circuit design; means for capturing the circuit contextual information in a mask design database; means for producing mask contextual information for mask elements in the mask design database based on the circuit contextual information; means for configuring the mask design database to reflect the mask contextual information; and means for writing the mask elements on a mask substrate.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for writing further comprises:
means for determining manufacturing enhancements for one or more mask elements based on the mask contextual information; and means for applying the manufacturing enhancement to the mask element.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:
means for producing priority information for the mask elements based on features of the mask elements.
- 19. A method for mask writing, comprising:
designing an integrated circuit; passing the design data to a context and priority analysis step; analyzing design data for each mask element to determine a circuit function, circuit criticality context, and priority for each mask element; including the circuit function, circuit criticality context, and priority data in a mask design data file; and using the mask design data file to write a mask.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein design data from the integrated circuit design comprises:
polygonal shape, location, layout geography, circuit functionality and circuit criticality data for each mask element.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein analyzing further comprises:
comparing design data for each mask element to design data for other mask elements and to a predetermined set of mask criteria.
- 22. A system for writing a mask, comprising:
means for generating integrated circuit design data; and means for using information for interfeature relationships of the integrated circuit design data to write the mask.
- 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the interfeature relationships are on one layer of the integrated circuit design.
- 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the interfeature relationships are across multiple layers of the integrated circuit design.
- 25. The system of claim 22, wherein the interfeature relationships comprise:
interfeature process proximity effects; interfeature coupling across layers; interfeature electronic relationships; or wire interconnects longer than a given length.
- 26. The system of claim 22, said means for wherein using the information for interfeature relationships to write the mask further comprises:
means for passing the information for interfeature relationships to a mask writing system.
- 27. A system for generating a lithography mask or a printed wafer, comprising:
means for generating integrated circuit design data; and means for using context information from the integrated circuit design data to write the mask or printed wafer.
- 28. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for using context information comprises:
analyzing mask features for contextual priority.
- 29. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for using context information comprises:
means for assigning priorities to the mask features.
- 30. The system of claim 29, wherein said means for assigning priorities to the mask features comprises:
means for applying criteria to mask design data by manual process.
- 31. The system of claim 29, wherein said means for assigning priorities to the mask features comprises:
means for applying criteria to mask design data by computer-aided automated process.
- 32. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for using context information comprises:
means for analyzing mask features to determine the circuit element expected to be produced by a lithography system at a chip wafer surface.
- 33. The system of claim 27, further comprising:
means for configuring a mask design database to include additional contextual mask design data generated in using the contextual information from the integrated circuit design data.
- 34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:
means for configuring the mask design database to optimize an order of mask design data for use by a mask writing system.
- 35. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for using context information comprises:
means for passing context information to a mask writing system.
- 36. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for using context information comprises:
means for controlling a mask writing system based on the context information.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/395,415, filed Jul. 12, 2002, entitled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTEXT-SPECIFIC MASK WRITING, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60395415 |
Jul 2002 |
US |