JP3171905B2 - Data processing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data processing method, and more particularly, to a data processing method suitable for use in, for example, the field of producing a reticle and a mask wafer, which shortens the processing time. In recent years, along with the large scale and high integration of semiconductor devices, the design data of semiconductor device patterns has been increased in size by performing rectangular decomposition of miniaturized data and the like to realize the realization, resulting in an increase in data size. .

For this reason, in the production of mask data in a large-scale and highly integrated semiconductor device, the time required for data processing tends to be further increased, and a reduction in data processing time is required. .

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional data processing method of this kind, for example, there is a method as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, FIG.
The flow of the process will be described based on FIG. First, in process A, design data created in advance by CAD (Computer Aided Design) or the like and stored in MT (Magnetic Tape) is copied / edited to a fixed disk in the data processing device.

[0004] Next, in process B, the design data copied to the fixed disk is converted into data that can be processed in the data processing apparatus. From the converted data, various files (data) shown in FIG. Management files, layout data files, figure data files, figure information data files, etc.) are created. In FIG. 4,
File 1 is a data management file for storing various management information of each database file, File 2 is a layout data file for storing non-figure layout information existing at a lower level from each figure, and File 3 is each figure, pattern data, and comment. A figure data file for storing data information, and a file 4 is a figure information data file for storing arrangement information of Group figures existing below the Top Group figure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of the figure. Each figure at the chip level is divided into, for example, groups A, B, C, and D. Each of the groups A, B, C, and D is .., And Da to Dd. That is, the arrangement information of this hierarchical structure is stored in the figure information data file. When the various pattern files are created, various dedicated processes are performed by the process D.

The exclusive processing includes, for example, an arbitrary angle processing, an acute angle processing, an inner blanking processing, a shift processing and the like as shown in FIG. In the arbitrary angle processing, as shown in FIG. 2A, in a pattern having an arbitrary angle, that is, a pattern having a line segment that is not a multiple of 45 °, stepwise approximation of a line segment that is not a multiple of 45 °. Is a process for converting the pattern.

As shown in FIG.
This is a process of deleting a vertex portion of a pattern having an acute angle larger than 90 ° and smaller than 90 °. The inner punching process is
As shown in FIG. 3C, the outer frame pattern (DT in the figure)
YPE = 0) and a hollow pattern (DTYPE =
63) is a logical process to create a one-stroke-shaped hollow pattern.

As shown in FIG.
This is a process of increasing or decreasing the original pattern by specifying a shift value for a predetermined pattern. For example, if the shift value is 2 μm for a rectangular pattern, the entire pattern is 1 μm each. An enlarged pattern is created. The processing results of the various dedicated processes described above are stored again in the fixed disk, and the processing E provides editing means for the exposure data such as file combination, layer name operation, output message selection, etc. A list is output.

[0009]

However, in such a conventional data processing method, since various exclusive processes are performed along a single flow by the process D,
For example, when a processing error occurs due to the presence of unprocessable pattern data in the design data, there is a problem that the data processing must be restarted from the beginning after reviewing the design data.

That is, when processing large-capacity data, even a type that has been processing for a long time must be re-processed from the beginning due to one error. In today's growing age, it has a significant impact on product development time. [Purpose] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a data processing method for shortening the processing time by re-processing only an error occurrence part when an error occurs.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a data processing method according to the present invention is a data processing method for performing mask data processing, which is a pre-process for producing a reticle and a mask wafer, and comprises a pre-designed design. Converting the data into processable pattern data; distributing the converted pattern data for each of a plurality of predetermined processing units; and independently performing a plurality of predetermined processes on the basis of the allocated pattern data independently and in parallel. Performing, a step of combining the processing results of the plurality of predetermined processes, and, when an error occurs during the plurality of predetermined processes, the predetermined process in which the error has occurred.
For the sorted pattern data corresponding to the
And performing the predetermined process again.

In this case, it is preferable to detect whether or not an error has occurred for each of the plurality of predetermined processes.

[0013]

According to the present invention, a plurality of predetermined processes are performed independently and in parallel on the basis of the distributed pattern data, so that an error occurrence portion can be easily found.
The sorted path corresponding to the predetermined process in which the error occurred
By performing the processing again only on the turn data , the time required for data processing is reduced.

That is, reprocessing is performed only on data in which an error has occurred, and processed data without error can be used as it is, so that the time required for data processing is greatly reduced.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a data processing method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the process.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a specific operation example of the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the operations in the processing A, processing B, and processing E of the conventional example shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, processes B to E will be described. First, in process B, the design data copied to the fixed disk is converted into data that can be processed in the data processing device, and then subjected to a determination process.

In the determination process, for example, a pattern necessary for each of the subsequent various dedicated processes is selected from the coordinate points of the graphic data in the conversion data, the data type, the external input information, and the like. If two patterns are selected in duplicate, the same pattern is sent to each process. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when there is pattern data having an arbitrary-angle pattern and an acute-angle pattern, the same pattern data is given to the subsequent processing.

Next, conventionally, the processing D was performed.
Arbitrary angle processing, acute angle processing, hollowing out processing, shift processing, and ordinary processing that does not require special processing are performed independently and simultaneously in parallel. And each processing ~
After completion, the presence or absence of an error is checked. If there is no error, the pattern data of the respective processes (1) to (4) are synthesized by the pattern merging process.
Output message selection and the like are provided, and exposure data and a processing list are output.

On the other hand, if there is an error, pattern merge processing is performed on the error occurrence pattern at the corresponding location, and only the pattern of the error occurrence section is output. Output
After the data correction, only the error pattern data is subjected to the processes A to E described above. As described above, in the present embodiment, reprocessing is performed only on the pattern data in which an error has occurred, and processing data without an error can be used as it is, so that the time required for data processing can be greatly reduced.

[0020]

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily find the location where an error has occurred by performing a plurality of predetermined processes independently and in parallel based on the sorted pattern data.
Furthermore, sorting corresponding to the specified process in which the error occurred
The time required for data processing can be reduced by performing the processing again only on the obtained pattern data .

Therefore, in the predetermined processing in which the error has occurred,
Reprocessing is performed only on the corresponding allocated pattern data, and processed data without errors can be used as it is, so that the time required for data processing can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a processing flow of a data processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a specific operation example of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a processing flow of a conventional data processing method.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing various files generated by a process C;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flow of a figure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the processing contents of various exclusive processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03F 1/00-1/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data processing method for performing mask data processing, which is a pre-process of preparing a reticle and a mask wafer, comprising: converting design data prepared in advance into pattern data that can be processed (process B); A process (judgment process) of distributing the converted pattern data for each of a plurality of predetermined processing units, and a plurality of predetermined processes (arbitrary angle processing, acute angle processing, inner blanking processing, shift processing,
Performing normal processing) independently and in parallel, combining the processing results of a plurality of predetermined processing (pattern merge processing), and generating an error when an error occurs during the plurality of predetermined processing.
Sorted pattern data corresponding to the generated predetermined processing
A process (process F) of performing the predetermined process again only on the data. 2. The data processing method according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of an error is detected for each of the plurality of predetermined processes.