JPH03208358A - Verification of pattern data of semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily compare and verify designing image data with exposure pattern data by converting the designing data of the exposure pattern into exposure working data, reversely converting it to verifying image data of the same format as that of the designing data, and combining the data and the designing data to detect a pattern defect. CONSTITUTION:A computer 6 converts designing image data 9 into exposure pattern data based on a conversion program. Then, the exposure data 10 is converted to exposure working data, stored in a memory of the computer 6, reversely converted to verifying image data 11 of the same format as that of the data 9, and stored in a library 3 of a CAD system 1. The data 11, 9 are combined, displayed on a CRT 4 to visually check whether the data 11 to the data 9 is correctly converted or not. Thus, the data 9, 10 can easily be compared to be verified in the same format.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to exposure data of a semiconductor device itself for manufacturing a semiconductor device or to manufacturing a semiconductor device. The present invention relates to a pattern data verification method for accurately creating exposure data for masks and reticles.

In recent years, there has been a demand for high-reliability semiconductor integrated circuits to be manufactured in large quantities and in a short period of time. There is a need to improve the accuracy of exposure pattern data used to expose a semiconductor device using a beam exposure device or exposure pattern data used to expose a semiconductor device itself using an electron beam exposure device.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional method for verifying exposure pattern data during reticle manufacturing will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, a CAD device 1 for creating reticle exposure data includes an arithmetic processing device 2, a library 3 that stores a large amount of design pattern data, and a CAD device 1 for displaying calculation results by the arithmetic processing device 2. C as a display device for
It consists of an RT 4 and an input device 5 for inputting command signals or design data to the arithmetic processing device 2.

The CAD device wave arithmetic processing device 2 is connected to an external computer 6, and to the computer 6 is connected a printer 7 that prints out the calculation results on paper. The exposure device 8 exposes the reticle.

The procedure for creating reticle exposure data using such a CAD device will be explained with reference to FIGS.
At the same time, desired design data is read out from the library 3 by a command signal inputted through the input device 5 (S
TEP 1. Hereinafter, 5TEP will be referred to as S).

Next, based on the design data input by the input device 5 and the design data read from the library 3, the arithmetic processing unit 2 configures design image data 9 as shown in FIG. 2(a) on the CRTJ, and the computer 6 (S2). Then, the design image data 9 is converted into the design image data 9 based on a preset conversion program.
is converted into exposure pattern data 10 as shown in FIG. 5(b) by performing a shift operation (S3). This exposure pattern data is not image data and has a different format from the design image data. Next, computer 6
performs calculations to convert the exposure pattern data 10 into a format to be output as plot data from the printer 7 (S4), and outputs the plot data to the printer 7.
(S5). Then, by visually checking the plot drawing output from the printer 7, the design image data 9 shown in FIG. 2(a) is correctly processed into the exposure pattern data 10 shown in FIG. 2(b). If the operator recognizes that the exposure pattern data 10 is correct, the computer 6 processes the exposure pattern data 10 and converts it into exposure work data (S7). The reticle is exposed using an electron beam exposure device (S8). In addition, design image data 9
If the exposure pattern data 10 is not correctly converted to exposure pattern data 10 due to an operator's input error or the like, the work from Sl is repeated.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the method of verifying the design image data and exposure pattern data as described above, it is extremely troublesome to visually check the exposure pattern data output as plot data.・As it is not possible to compare by sort,
There is a problem in that defects in exposure pattern data may be overlooked.

An object of the present invention is to provide a verification method that allows easy comparison and verification of design image data and exposure pattern data in the same format.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to calculate design image data of an exposure pattern designed with a CAD device using a calculation device, convert it into exposure work data for driving an exposure device, and then convert the exposure work data into the same format as the design image data. This is achieved by a verification method in which the verification image data is inversely converted into verification image data, and the verification image data and the design image data are combined and displayed on a display device of a CAD device to detect pattern defects in the verification image data with respect to the design image data. Ru.

[Effect]

Exposure work data calculated based on the design image data is inversely converted to verification image data in the same format as the design image data, and the design image data and verification image data are combined and displayed on the display device. Comparative verification of both data becomes easy.

〔Example〕

An embodiment embodying this invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 below.
This will be explained according to the diagram. Incidentally, the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same numbers and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

The pattern data verification method of this embodiment is performed based on the same CAD device 1 and computer 6 as in the conventional example. The verification method will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, as in the conventional example, design data for creating exposure pattern data is input from the input device 5 to the arithmetic processing device 2. The desired design pattern data is read out from the library 3 according to the command signal (Sll).

Next, based on the design data input by the input device 5 and the design pattern data read from the library 3, the arithmetic processing unit 2 composes design image data 9 as shown in FIG. 2(a) on the CRTJ and stores the data in the library. 3 and output the design image data 9 to the computer 6 (S12), the computer 6 calculates the design image data 9 based on a preset conversion program as shown in FIG. 2(b). The exposure pattern data 10 is converted into exposure pattern data 10 (S13).

Next, the exposure pattern data 10 is transferred to the computer 6.
The exposure pattern data 10 is arithmetic-processed and converted into exposure work data and stored in the memory of the computer 6, and the exposure pattern data 10 is inversely converted into verification image data 11 in the same format as the design image data 9 and sent to the CAD device 1. It is stored in the library 3 (S14).

Then, the verification image data 11 and the design image data 9 are read out from the library 3 of the CAD device 1, synthesized as shown in FIG. 2(C) using a known program, and displayed on the CRT 4 (515). It is visually checked whether the verification image data 11 has been correctly converted to the image data 9 (S16). Therefore, if the operator recognizes that the verification image data on the CRT 4 is correct, the reticle is exposed by the electron beam exposure device based on the exposure work data stored in the memory of the computer 6 (S17). Furthermore, if the design image data 9 is not converted into correct verification image data due to an input error by the operator, etc., the work from Sll is repeated.

As described above, in this verification method, the exposure pattern data lO converted by the computer 6 based on the design image data 9 created by the CAD device l is transferred to the computer 6.
The verification image data 11 is inversely converted into verification image data 11 in the same format as the design image data and returned to the CAD device 1, and the verification image data 11 and design image data 9 can be combined and compared and verified simultaneously on the CRT 4. The verification work can be performed accurately and easily.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, the present invention exhibits an excellent effect in that design image data and exposure pattern data can be easily compared and verified in the same format.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing data processing procedures, FIG. The figure is a flow chart diagram showing a conventional example of a design pattern data verification method. In the figure, 1 is a CAD device, 4 is a CRT (display device), 6 is a computer (arithmetic device), 9 is design image data, 10 is exposure pattern data, and 11 is verification image data. Figure 1 Fruit of the present invention 1! Flowchart showing an example Figure 1 Figure 2 Explanatory diagram showing the data processing procedure (a) (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The design image data of the exposure pattern designed with the CAD device is calculated by the arithmetic device and converted into exposure work data for driving the exposure device, and then the exposure work data is converted into a verification image in the same format as the design image data. A semiconductor device characterized in that the verification image data and the design image data are combined and displayed on a display device of a CAD device to detect pattern defects in the verification image data with respect to the design image data. pattern data verification method.