JP2828372B2 - How to create mask data - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for creating mask data. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for creating data of an exposure mask used for photolithography in the semiconductor manufacturing field.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a semiconductor element is often not finished according to a pattern (data) of an exposure mask due to restrictions on exposure conditions, resolution performance, and the like in a photolithography process. Normally, -0.2 μm to +0.2
A pattern shift occurs in the range of μm (a minus sign indicates that the pattern is reduced, and a plus sign indicates that the pattern is expanded). Therefore, in order to cancel such a pattern shift, generally, a process (resizing) of isometrically expanding or reducing the data of the exposure mask in advance is performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the pattern shifts in the direction in which the pattern is reduced in the actual process, plus resizing is performed, and when the pattern is shifted in the direction in which the pattern is enlarged in the actual process, minus resizing is performed. In the figure, 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes layout data according to dimensions of a semiconductor element to be manufactured, 12 denotes data after plus resizing, and 12 'denotes data after minus resizing.

Conventionally, first, all data is developed and laid out in accordance with the dimensions of a semiconductor element to be manufactured, and then the entire layout data 11 is resized for each cell to form an exposure mask. Data 12 or 12 'is created. The reason for this is that if resizing is performed by a fixed amount for each cell serving as a basic unit at a time, as shown in FIG. 3, when minus resizing is performed, gaps 21,. , 23 occur and the pattern 12 ′ to be connected may be disconnected.

[0004]

However, in a situation where the integration of semiconductor elements is becoming more and more advanced, the developed layout data 11 usually becomes a huge amount. There is a problem that it takes an enormous amount of time for processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mask data creating method capable of creating exposure mask data in a short time.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a method of producing mask data for an exposure mask for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which is constituted by combining a plurality of types of cells. A layout step of reducing cells having dimensions corresponding to the pattern dimensions of the semiconductor element to be formed by a fixed amount, connecting these reduced cells to each other to create layout data, and keeping the dimensions of the reduced cells constant. Resize in the direction to expand by the amount,
A resizing step of obtaining data for the exposure mask.

[0007]

Since the data of the exposure mask is created by resizing the once created layout data in a direction to enlarge it by a certain amount, there is no danger that a pattern that should be originally connected is broken by the resizing. Therefore, after resizing is performed collectively for each cell serving as a basic unit, the obtained data can be simply combined and used. Therefore, the amount of data processing is greatly reduced, and the data of the exposure mask is created in a shorter time than in the past. In particular, the effect is great in a semiconductor memory device having many repetitive patterns.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a method for producing mask data according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments.

In the actual exposure step, a pattern shift of 0.1 μm, that is, +0.1 μm occurs in the direction in which the pattern of the exposure mask is enlarged. In this case, the exposure mask needs to be finished to a size smaller by 0.1 μm than the pattern size of the semiconductor element to be manufactured so as to cancel the pattern shift.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a pattern (layout data) 2 having a size reduced by 0.2 μm from the pattern 1 of the semiconductor element to be manufactured is laid out. At this time, of course, the basic cells are connected to each other. Next, the layout data 2 is resized plus 0.1 μm to obtain exposure mask data.

As described above, since the data of the exposure mask is created by resizing the layout data 2 by a predetermined amount, there is no possibility that the pattern that should be connected is disconnected due to the resizing. On the other hand, when the exposure mask needs to be finished to a size larger than the pattern size of the semiconductor element to be manufactured, there is no problem only because the amount of plus resize is increased. Therefore, after resizing is performed collectively for each cell serving as a basic unit, the obtained data can be simply combined and used. Therefore, the amount of data processing can be greatly reduced, and as a result, the data of the exposure mask can be created in a shorter time than in the past. In particular, the effect is great in a semiconductor memory device having many repetitive patterns.

[0012]

As is clear from the above, in the mask data creating method of the present invention, cells having dimensions corresponding to the pattern dimensions of the semiconductor element to be fabricated are respectively reduced by a certain amount, and these reduced sizes are obtained. A layout step of connecting cells to each other to create layout data; and a resizing step of resizing the reduced cell dimensions in a direction to expand by a certain amount to obtain data for the exposure mask. Therefore, resizing can be performed collectively for each cell serving as a basic unit. Therefore, the amount of data processing can be greatly reduced, and as a result, the data of the exposure mask can be created in a shorter time than in the past.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for creating mask data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional mask data generation method.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional mask data producing method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 semiconductor device pattern to be fabricated 2 layout data 3 exposure mask data

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mask data creating method for an exposure mask for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising a combination of a plurality of types of cells, wherein each cell has a size corresponding to a pattern size of a semiconductor device to be manufactured. A layout step of reducing the size by a certain amount and connecting these reduced cells to each other to create layout data; and resizing the dimensions of the reduced cells in a direction to expand by a certain amount, for the exposure mask. And a resizing step of obtaining the data of (1).