JP2002148780A - Device and method for generating mask pattern, computer-readable recording medium with program making computer to implement the same method recorded thereon, and photomask - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a mask pattern generating device which corrects the size of a mask pattern printed on the same medium to be etched according to an arrangement position decided by taking a difference in etching rate into account. SOLUTION: The mask pattern generating device is equipped with an area dividing means 12 which divides the whole mask pattern into multiple areas and a correction pattern generating means 16 which generates new mask patterns laterally or longitudinally increased or decreased in the size of patterns belonging to areas by the areas.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a circuit pattern of a semiconductor integrated circuit, a film carrier pattern for mounting electronic parts such as semiconductors, and a mask pattern used for exposing and transferring a wiring pattern on a printed circuit board. The present invention relates to a mask pattern generation device that performs generation, a mask pattern generation method, a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the method is recorded, and a photomask manufactured using the device and the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent demand for a semiconductor device that realizes lightness, small size, and low power consumption, a semiconductor integrated circuit that plays a leading role in the semiconductor device, that is, an IC chip, is being miniaturized. The miniaturization and multifunctionality and high performance of the IC chip are realized by high integration of fine patterns by lithography technology.

The lithography technique is a technique for printing a pattern such as a circuit on a surface of a silicon wafer covered with a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film. First, a photomask on which the pattern is formed is required. To obtain a photomask, first, the minimum dimensions, device structure,
Based on design criteria and manufacturing conditions such as process steps, manufacturing equipment and manufacturing lines, CAD
(Computer Aided Design) Designed as a mask pattern by an apparatus. A photomask is manufactured by printing this mask pattern on a mask blank by an electron beam exposure machine.

In the photolithography process,
First, a photoresist is dropped on the silicon wafer.
Rotate at high speed to apply resist thin film. Subsequently, using a stepper, ultraviolet rays are radiated through the above-described photomask, and when a positive photoresist is used, the exposed portion is dissolved by a solvent to leave an unexposed portion of the resist pattern. Thus, the mask pattern is transferred onto the photoresist.

After hardening the photoresist by heat treatment, the underlying silicon nitride film and silicon oxide film are etched using the remaining resist pattern as a mask, and the unnecessary resist is removed. Thus, a silicon wafer on which a desired silicon nitride film / oxide film pattern is formed is obtained.

To form a circuit pattern, a field oxide film is formed using the silicon nitride film / oxide film pattern as a mask, the silicon nitride film / oxide film is removed, and a gate insulating film is grown on the exposed silicon substrate surface. Then, a polycrystalline silicon film is deposited on the gate insulating film. further,
By repeating the above-described photolithography process, that is, applying the photoresist, exposing the pattern, etching, and removing the resist, the first and second layers. . . Thus, semiconductor films are stacked to form an IC having a multilayer structure. Thus, the lithography technique is an essential technique for manufacturing an IC chip.

Here, the size of the IC chip (bare chip) currently distributed sufficiently satisfies the demand for lightness, smallness, and small size, but the size of the semiconductor device which is actually traded in a form that is easy to handle. Is determined by the size of the package surrounding the IC chip rather than the size of the IC chip.

Originally, the function of a semiconductor device is held by the semiconductor itself, that is, the IC chip, and the package
It plays the role of maximizing the functions of the C chip. Also,
What the customer requests is not an IC chip but a function as a semiconductor device including a package. Therefore,
Giving customers the best package form is CS
(Customer satisfaction), and the criteria are considered to be the function, quality and cost of the semiconductor device.

On the semiconductor manufacturer side, rather than supplying semiconductor devices as bare chips or flip chips, DIP (Dual Inline Package) and PGA (Pin
Grid Array), QFP (Quad Flat Package) and T
When supplied in the form of a package such as a CP (Tape Carrier Package), handling in the test process becomes easier and cost reduction is realized.

At the time of packaging, an IC chip is
It is necessary to stick it on the lead frame on which the electrode leads are arranged. That is, with this lead frame,
The electrodes of the encapsulated IC chip are drawn out of the package. This lead frame is also designed by a CAD device, and is manufactured from a metal material such as a copper plate by the above-described photolithography process.

Further, the photolithography technology is based on IC
When manufacturing a printed circuit board on which a package or other semiconductor element is mounted, it is also used for forming a wiring pattern thereof. As described above, the photolithography technology is used everywhere in manufacturing a semiconductor device mainly composed of an IC chip.

However, during the etching process, which is one step of the photolithography technique, a difference occurs between a pattern of a photomask and a pattern of a semiconductor or the like actually obtained by etching using a resist pattern as a mask. The problem is known. For example, when manufacturing a lead frame by etching, so-called side etching occurs in which a metal material is cut off beyond a resist pattern.

For this reason, in the lead frame designing process performed on the CAD apparatus, first, a CAD having a product size corresponding to a target product lead frame pattern is used.
An etching correction process is performed in which data is created, and then a dimension or the like that is excessively cut by the side etching is added as a correction amount to the CAD data of the product dimension.

On the other hand, DIP or PGA, which is one form of the IC package, is called a lead insertion type in which leads protrude straight down from the IC. Particularly, in recent years, the mounting density is improved. As a form, QFP
And surface mount types such as TCP have attracted attention.

Among these surface-mount packages, TCP is particularly suitable for watches, calculators, thermal heads because it has features such as fineness, light weight, thinness, flexibility, and high degree of freedom in circuit design. , LCD (Liquid
(Crystal Display) Drivers and other applications. In particular, the market is expanding due to the adoption of LCD drivers, and the number of participating manufacturers is increasing, and the degree of attention is increasing.

The TCP includes TAB (Tape Automated Bon).
ding) A tape is used, which is formed by forming a wiring pattern with a copper foil on a thin film such as polyimide. The formation of this wiring pattern is also realized by the photolithography technique described above.

Here, the structure of the TAB tape will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a TAB tape, and particularly shows a top view thereof. In FIG. 7, TA
The B tape 100 has a plurality of sprocket holes 112 for winding the tape like a movie film on a thin film such as polyimide, and one IC to be mounted.
The chip is provided with a device hole 114 for mounting the IC chip, an outer lead hole 116 for making an electrical connection with the outer lead, and a positioning hole 118 for positioning.

The desired wiring pattern 150 is formed by etching the copper foil adhered on the film. The wiring pattern 120 includes an inner lead 122 projecting into the device hole 122 and electrically connecting to the IC chip, and outer leads 124 and 126 for electrically connecting to an external circuit. . In the drawing, the outer leads 12
4 and 126 are for the input side and the output side, respectively. In particular, in the TAB tape 100, in the longitudinal direction, that is, the winding direction of the TAB tape, the device hole 114 as shown in FIG.
Are formed in a plurality.

Particularly, in the case of a TAB tape, the above-described holes and wiring patterns are sequentially formed by changing the longitudinal position of the film by winding the film.
In other words, photoresist coating, pattern exposure, etching, resist stripping, and the like for forming a wiring pattern are performed as a line process on a belt conveyor, so that a large number of IC packages can be manufactured collectively. .

[0020]

However, when the above etching treatment is performed by wet etching in which the silicon wafer is immersed in the etching bath, the concentration of the solvent in the etching bath slightly varies depending on the position. There is a problem that the etching speed is uneven in each of the upper portions. Therefore, depending on the position of the silicon wafer, a metal material is etched more than necessary or a portion where sufficient etching is not achieved occurs.

This becomes a more prominent problem with the miniaturization of circuit patterns and wiring patterns which will be further developed in the future. For example, when the metal material is etched more than necessary due to the above-described reason in the pattern portion in which the pitch between the conductors is narrow, heat generation or the like due to disconnection or an extremely thin wire state is generated, and sufficient If the etching is not achieved, the circuit will not operate properly, such as short-circuiting with adjacent conductors.

In the above-described TAB tape, the shower nozzle disposed vertically above the center of the tape surface is used to
Since the etching is performed by spraying the etching solution over a wide area toward the photoresist on the tape (after the exposure process), the etching solution can reach the center and both ends (near sprocket holes) of the tape surface. The amount, ie the etching rate, is different,
There was a problem that both ends of the TAB tape were not sufficiently etched.

Particularly, in recent years, the number of electrodes for driving the cells constituting these screens has increased with the increase in the screen size of plasma displays and LCDs. There is also a tendency for the number of demands for TCP to increase. Therefore, in order to cope with the increase in demand and to improve production efficiency, at present, a so-called multi-cavity specification having a plurality of electronic component mounting portions in the width direction of the TAB tape has been generalized. Under this specification, the above-mentioned problem of the etching chemical becomes more prominent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a mask for correcting the size of a mask pattern to be printed on the same etching target medium in accordance with an arrangement position in consideration of a difference in etching rate. An object of the present invention is to provide a pattern generation device, a mask pattern generation method, a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the method, and a photomask manufactured using the device and the method.

[0025]

Means for Solving the Problems The above-mentioned problems are solved,
In order to achieve the object, a mask pattern generation apparatus according to the present invention is a mask pattern generation apparatus that generates a mask pattern of a photomask used in a photolithography process for forming a circuit pattern. Region dividing means for dividing the whole into a plurality of regions, and correction for generating a new mask pattern in which the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction for each of the plurality of regions Pattern generating means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the entire mask pattern can be divided into a plurality of regions, and the size of each pattern belonging to the plurality of divided regions can be increased or decreased. The mask pattern can be corrected in consideration of etching unevenness at the time of etching in the lithography process.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the region dividing means indicates the degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching object. The method is characterized in that the entire mask pattern is divided into a plurality of regions based on the distribution.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the division of the entire mask pattern into a plurality of regions is performed based on the etching distribution. An appropriate number of divisions and an appropriate region width can be determined so as to match the target pattern.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect, for each of the plurality of regions, the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased. A correction direction designating means for designating the direction.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to specify whether to increase or decrease the size of a pattern belonging to each of a plurality of divided areas. The amount of correction can be adjusted in accordance with the etching rate difference, the concentration of the etching chemical, the mask pattern generation conditions before correction, and the like.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect, for each of the plurality of regions, the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased. A correction direction determining means for determining the correction direction based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching target.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the correction direction for each of the plurality of divided regions is determined based on the etching distribution, so that the difference in the etching rate between the different regions, the concentration of the etching solution, The amount of correction can be adjusted in accordance with the conditions for generating the mask pattern before correction, etc., and an appropriate pattern that the finally obtained pattern matches the original target pattern in consideration of unevenness at the time of etching. The number of divisions and the area width can be determined.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the correction for increasing or decreasing the size of the pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions is provided. A correction amount designating means for designating the amount is provided.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, for each of the plurality of divided regions, the amount by which the size of the pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased can be designated, so that different regions can be designated. The amount to be corrected can be adjusted according to the difference in etching rate between the two, the concentration of the etching solution, the conditions for generating the mask pattern before correction, and the like.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the correction for increasing or decreasing the size of the pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions is provided. A correction amount determining means for determining the amount based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching target is provided.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the correction amount for each of the plurality of divided areas is determined based on the etching distribution, so that the pattern finally obtained in consideration of unevenness at the time of etching is taken into consideration. Can determine a more appropriate correction amount for matching with the original target pattern.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the correction pattern generating unit reduces the size of the pattern belonging to the plurality of regions. As a result, in a case where the pattern portion that was originally integrated as the connection wiring is divided into independent patterns, the independent patterns are joined to function as the initial connection wiring.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, when the size is corrected in the direction of decreasing the size, even if the circuit does not function as a circuit due to the disconnection of the conductor, the divided portion is kept in the joined state. A mask pattern can be obtained.

According to a eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mask pattern generating method for generating a mask pattern of a photomask used in a photolithography process for forming a circuit pattern. Dividing a pattern into a plurality of regions, and a correction pattern for generating a new mask pattern in which, for each of the plurality of regions, the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased in a horizontal direction and / or a vertical direction. And a generating step.

According to the present invention, the entire mask pattern can be divided into a plurality of regions, and the size of each pattern belonging to the plurality of divided regions can be increased or decreased. For example, the mask pattern can be corrected in consideration of etching unevenness during etching in a photolithography process.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating method according to the eighth aspect, the region dividing step includes the step of indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching object. The method is characterized in that the entire mask pattern is divided into a plurality of regions based on the distribution.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the division of the entire mask pattern into a plurality of regions is performed on the basis of the etching distribution. An appropriate number of divisions and an appropriate region width can be determined so as to match the target pattern.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the mask pattern generating method according to the eighth aspect, for each of the plurality of regions, the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased. A correction direction determining step of determining based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching target.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the correction direction for each of the plurality of divided regions is determined based on the etching distribution, so that the difference in the etching rate between the different regions, the concentration of the etching solution, The amount of correction can be adjusted in accordance with the conditions for generating the mask pattern before correction, etc., and an appropriate pattern that the finally obtained pattern matches the original target pattern in consideration of unevenness at the time of etching. The number of divisions and the area width can be determined.

In the mask pattern generating method according to the present invention, the correction for increasing or decreasing the size of the pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions may be made for each of the plurality of regions. The method includes a step of determining a correction amount for determining the amount based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on the etching target.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the correction amount for each of the plurality of divided areas is determined based on the etching distribution, so that the pattern finally obtained in consideration of unevenness during etching is taken into account. Can determine a more appropriate correction amount for matching with the original target pattern.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the method of generating a mask pattern according to the first aspect of the present invention, the correcting pattern generating step reduces the size of the pattern belonging to the plurality of regions, and as a result, the correction pattern generating step is integrated as a connection wiring at first. When the separated pattern portions are divided into independent patterns, the independent patterns are joined so as to function as initial connection wiring.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, when correction is made in a direction to reduce the size, even if the circuit does not function as a result of the disconnection of the conductor, the divided portion is kept in a joined state. A mask pattern can be obtained.

Further, the recording medium according to the invention of claim 13 records a program for causing a computer to execute the mask pattern generation method according to claims 8 to 12, whereby the processing of claims 8 to 12 is performed. It can be executed by a computer.

The photomask according to the invention of claim 14 is manufactured based on the mask pattern generated by the mask pattern generation method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, so that this photomask is By using a mask in a photolithography step, a target pattern can be formed on an etching target.

Further, in the photomask according to the present invention, since the mask pattern is a pattern for manufacturing a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components, the photomask may be a TAB tape or a T-type tape. BG
The target pattern can be formed on the film of the electronic component mounting film carrier tape by using the photolithography process of the electronic component mounting film carrier tape such as the A tape, the CSP tape, and the ASIC tape.

[0052]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a mask pattern generating apparatus and a mask pattern generating method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment. In this embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to the manufacture of a TAB tape will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mask pattern generating apparatus according to the embodiment. The mask pattern generation apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 reads mask pattern data stored in a storage device 20 connected to the outside or mounted on the inside, and converts a plurality of mask patterns indicated by the read mask pattern data into a plurality of mask patterns. A region dividing unit 12 for dividing the region into regions, a correction direction determining unit 14 for determining whether to increase or decrease the size of a pattern portion belonging to each of the plurality of regions (hereinafter, referred to as a correction direction); A correction amount determination unit 16 that determines an amount to be increased or decreased (hereinafter, referred to as a correction amount), and a correction pattern generation that changes the size of a pattern portion for each of a plurality of regions based on the determined correction direction and correction amount. Means 18.

In particular, the number of divisions and the division width in the area dividing means 12, the correction direction in the correction direction determining means 14, and the correction amount in the correction amount determining means 16 are based on values specified by the user. Although it can be determined, it is assumed here that it is automatically determined based on the etching rate data stored in the storage device 20. The etching rate data is TAB
In a photolithography process for forming a tape wiring pattern or the like, an etching target, that is, TA
It is an etching distribution which showed the progress of the etching in each part of the copper foil on B tape.

The mask pattern generating apparatus can be replaced by a computer system constituting a conventional CAD apparatus.
2. The correction direction determining unit 14, the correction amount determining unit 16, and the correction pattern generating unit 18 can be realized by computer programs, respectively.

The operation of the mask pattern generation device will be described below. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the mask pattern generation device according to the embodiment. First, the mask pattern generation device reads the already created mask pattern data 22 (step S101). Here, the created mask pattern data 22 is data that has not been subjected to a process for correcting a shift at the time of etching, and is obtained by designing with a conventional CAD apparatus. When each function of the mask pattern generation apparatus, that is, the function realized by each of the above-described units is operated as a part of a CAD program executed on the CAD apparatus, a new mask pattern is designed and described later. Correction processing can be performed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a created mask pattern. FIG. 3 particularly shows a case where six identical devices 50 are formed at a time by one photomask or reticle. In the figure,
A state where an unetched portion is covered with the mask covers 52 and 54 is shown, but this portion is not included in the mask pattern. In this example, it is assumed that the TAB tape can be wound upward or downward (in the y direction).

Next, the mask pattern generation device reads the etching rate data 24 (step S10).
2). FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the etching rate data. Here, for simplicity of description, it is assumed that the etching distribution of the mask pattern shown in FIG. 3 only in the horizontal direction (x direction) of the drawing is considered. In particular, since the TAB tape is sequentially transferred in the y-direction while taking an etching shower as described above, the etching distribution in the y-direction does not particularly matter, and it is sufficient to consider the etching distribution only in the x-direction. There are many.

The graph shown in FIG. 4 shows a state in which the degree of etching peaks at the center of the TAB tape and decreases as it approaches both ends where sprocket holes (not shown) are provided. I have.

Subsequently, the mask pattern generation device divides the entire mask pattern as shown in FIG. 3 into a plurality of regions based on the read etching rate data 24 (step S103). FIG. 3 shows a state where the area is divided into areas B1 to B7 in the x direction. The number of divisions and the width of each region need not be fixed. In particular, when the etching distribution as shown in FIG. 4 is obtained, it is preferable to determine the number of divisions and the region width suitable for the degree of etching. .

For example, in the graph shown in FIG. 4, the range B4 in the x direction has a flat distribution, and the ranges B3 and B5
It can be seen that the degree of etching decreases in the order of ranges B2 and B6 and ranges B1 and B7. Therefore, the area to be divided is also determined so as to correspond to the width of each range as shown in FIG. In particular, when the degree of etching decreases toward both ends of the TAB tape, it is preferable to reduce the width of the divided region so that a pattern closer to both ends can be corrected more precisely.

After the division of the entire mask pattern is completed, the mask pattern generation device determines a correction direction and a correction amount (steps S104 and S10).
5). The correction direction, that is, the direction of increasing or decreasing the size of the pattern, and the correction amount, that is, the amount of changing the size of the pattern, are determined for each of the divided areas and for the etching rate data described above. 24.

When the correction direction and the correction amount are determined in this way, the mask pattern generation device generates a mask pattern corrected according to the correction direction and the correction amount (step S106).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the above-described determination of the correction direction and the correction amount and generation of the correction mask pattern, and particularly shows a case where the correction is performed in the increasing direction. Here, it is assumed that the concentration of the etching chemical is set to be higher than the initial one, and when the mask pattern is not corrected, the entire mask pattern is over-etched. Note that this state can be similarly considered even if the width of each conductive line forming the mask pattern is made smaller in the design stage without changing the concentration of the etching chemical. On this assumption, the correction direction is the increasing direction.

FIG. 5 shows only a part (line L) of the mask pattern arranged over the divided areas for easy understanding. FIG. 5A shows a state before correction, in which a line L includes a plurality of patterns L1 divided by regions B1 to B4.
~ L4.

As shown in the etching rate data of FIG. 4, the pattern belonging to the region B3 is etched more than the pattern belonging to the region B2, so that the correction amount t2
In the relationship of> t1, the pattern L3 is increased by the correction amount t3 to generate a new pattern L2a, and the pattern L2 is increased by the correction amount t1 to generate a new pattern L1a.

That is, the relationship of t2> t1 and either absolute value are determined by the correction amount determination processing described above. The minimum unit that can be taken as the correction amount is limited by the minimum size that can be processed in a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) device that takes in final mask pattern data, ie, CAD data, and is, for example, 0.1 μm.

Further, the difference between the correction amounts given to the adjacent patterns between the divided areas is often the minimum unit described above in order to make the joint portions smooth. The step as shown in FIG. 5 (b) is not particularly problematic.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the above-described determination of the correction direction and the correction amount and generation of the correction mask pattern, and particularly shows a case where the correction is performed in the decreasing direction. When the size of each pattern belonging to the divided area is reduced, a portion that is initially configured as an electrically connected integrated pattern is divided on the area boundary. For example, in FIG. 6A, the pattern L2 belonging to the region B2 is separated from the patterns L1 and L3 of the adjacent regions on both sides by a reduction of the correction amount t3, and the pattern L2 is isolated. L2b. The pattern L3 belonging to the area B2 is changed to the correction amount t3.
, The pattern L in the adjacent regions on both sides is reduced.
2 and L4, the divided and isolated pattern L2
b.

That is, in the divided state, the originally designed circuit function cannot be realized. Therefore, the mask pattern generation device inserts the prosthetic patterns R1 to R3 as shown in FIG. 6B to join the divided portions, and keeps the original pattern integrated.

As described above, according to the mask pattern generating apparatus and the mask pattern generating method according to the embodiment, a plurality of mask patterns designed and created at the beginning are prepared based on the etching rate data. Since the size can be increased or decreased for each of the pattern portions belonging to the divided regions, even if the etching progresses differently for each position on the object to be etched, It is possible to form a pattern to be formed.

In the above embodiment, the division of the area, the determination of the correction direction and the determination of the correction amount are automatically performed based on the etching rate data. This may be performed based on the value specified by the user.

In the above-described embodiment, the division of the region, the determination of the correction direction and the determination of the correction amount are performed only for one axis in the x direction. However, the region is divided in a grid. Thus, the correction direction and the correction amount can be similarly determined for the y direction in addition to the x direction. However, when the division of the area, the determination of the correction direction and the determination of the correction amount are automatically performed based on the etching rate data, whether the etching rate data is also for each of the x direction and the y direction. It is necessary to prepare as two-dimensional data whose position is specified in both directions.

Further, in the above-described embodiment,
Although the TAB tape is taken as an example, the present invention relates to a T-BGA tape.
(Tape Ball Grid Array) tape, CSP (Chip Size)
Package) tape, ASIC (Application Specific In)
The present invention can also be applied to the case of generating a mask pattern of another electronic component mounting film carrier tape such as an integrated circuit tape. It is also used to generate mask patterns for manufacturing circuit patterns inside IC chips, lead frame patterns used in other package forms other than film carrier tapes for mounting electronic components, and other wiring patterns on printed circuit boards. Can also be applied.

[0075]

As described above, according to the mask pattern generation apparatus and the mask pattern generation method of the present invention, the entire mask pattern is divided into a plurality of regions, and each of the pattern portions belonging to the divided regions is divided into a plurality of regions. Since the size can be increased or decreased, even when the etching progresses differently for each position on the etching target, the pattern finally obtained can be the target pattern. .

Since the division into a plurality of regions, the determination of the correction direction, and the determination of the correction amount are determined based on the etching distribution, the pattern finally obtained by taking into account the unevenness at the time of etching is used. It becomes possible to more accurately match the target pattern.

According to the recording medium of the present invention,
Since a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described mask pattern generation method is recorded,
The processing realized by the mask pattern generation method can be executed on a computer.

According to the photomask of the present invention, since the photomask is manufactured based on the mask pattern generated by the above-described mask pattern generation method, the photomask is used in a photolithography step, so that an electronic component can be manufactured. A target pattern can be accurately formed on an etching target such as a mounting film carrier tape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a mask pattern generation device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the mask pattern generation device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a created mask pattern.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of etching rate data.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining determination of a correction direction and a correction amount and generation of a correction mask pattern.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining determination of a correction direction and a correction amount and generation of a correction mask pattern.

FIG. 7 is a top view for explaining a TAB tape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Mask pattern generation apparatus 12 Area division means 14 Correction direction determination means 16 Correction amount determination means 18 Correction pattern generation means 20 Storage device 22 Mask pattern data 24 Etching rate data

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A mask pattern generating apparatus for generating a mask pattern of a photomask used in a photolithography step for forming a circuit pattern, comprising: an area dividing means for dividing an entire mask pattern into a plurality of areas; Correction pattern generation means for generating, for each region, a new mask pattern in which the size of a pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction. apparatus. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said region dividing means divides the entire mask pattern into a plurality of regions based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each part on the etching object. The mask pattern generating apparatus according to the above. 3. The mask pattern according to claim 1, further comprising: a correction direction designating unit that designates, for each of the plurality of regions, whether to increase or decrease the size of the pattern belonging to the region. Generator. 4. For each of the plurality of regions, whether to increase or decrease the size of a pattern belonging to the region is determined based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on an etching target. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correction direction determining unit. 5. The mask pattern according to claim 1, further comprising: a correction amount specifying unit that specifies a correction amount for increasing or decreasing the size of a pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions. Generator. 6. A correction amount for increasing or decreasing the size of a pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions,
2. The mask pattern generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a correction amount determining unit that determines the amount of progress of the etching in each part on the etching target based on an etching distribution. 7. The method according to claim 7, wherein the correction pattern generation unit reduces a size of the pattern belonging to the plurality of regions, and as a result, a pattern portion that was initially integrated as connection wiring is divided into independent patterns. 2. The mask pattern generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said independent patterns are joined so as to function as initial connection wiring. 8. A mask pattern generating method for generating a mask pattern of a photomask used in a photolithography process for forming a circuit pattern, comprising: an area dividing step of dividing an entire mask pattern into a plurality of areas; Generating a new mask pattern in which the size of the pattern belonging to the region is increased or decreased in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction for each region; Method. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the region dividing step divides the entire mask pattern into a plurality of regions based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each part on the etching target. The described mask pattern generation method. 10. For each of the plurality of regions, whether to increase or decrease the size of a pattern belonging to the region is determined.
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining a correction direction based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each part on the etching target. 11. A correction amount for increasing or decreasing the size of a pattern belonging to each of the plurality of regions is determined based on an etching distribution indicating a degree of progress of etching in each portion on an etching target. 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of determining a correction amount. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the correcting pattern generation step includes a step of reducing a size of the pattern belonging to the plurality of regions, and as a result, a pattern portion that was initially integrated as a connection wiring is divided into independent patterns. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the independent patterns are joined so as to function as an initial connection wiring. 13. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the mask pattern generation method according to claim 8 is recorded. 14. A photomask manufactured based on a mask pattern generated by the mask pattern generation method according to claim 8. Description: 15. The photomask according to claim 14, wherein the mask pattern is a pattern for manufacturing a film carrier tape for mounting electronic components.