JPH04253318A - Graphic dividing method for exposure with electron beam - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of divided graphics by marging two segments between preceding and succeeding slits so that the segments can return to the original outline segment having an arbitrary angle. CONSTITUTION:When the outline segment L1 having an arbitrary angle of a graphic pattern FO is divided into two oblique segments L11 and L12, segment link pointers are attached to the divided segments L11 and L12 so that it can be recognized that the segments L11 and L12 form the outline segment L1 having the same arbitrary angle on the original graphic pattern. Therefore, when the information is confirmed at the time of merging both segments L11 and L12 between a left and right slits, the separated two oblique segments L11 and L12 can be easily returned to the original segment having the arbitrary angle and the number of divided graphics can be reduced.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention uses an electron beam to form a polygonal figure pattern with arbitrary sides, and the figure pattern to be formed is a basic figure such as a rectangle or a triangle or a unit of drawing. Concerning a method of dividing into drawing unit figures. With the recent increase in the density of LSI technology, problems such as miniaturization of graphic patterns and diversification of arbitrary angular sides whose slope is not ±1 have become a problem. Forming a pattern involves increasing the exposure time due to an increase in the amount of exposure data, or changing the shape by placing the end points of arbitrary corners of the divided figure on a grid formed at minimum intervals to create exposure data. Leads to.

[0002] Therefore, in polygonal graphic patterns having arbitrary angular sides, there is a need for a division method for reducing the number of divided figures, particularly the number of divided figures having arbitrary angular sides.

0003

[Prior Art] Conventionally, for example, as shown in FIG.
In order to divide a polygonal figure pattern F0 having an external line segment L1 of an arbitrary angle whose slope is not ±1 in two-dimensional coordinates into basic figures such as rectangles and triangles or drawing unit figures which are units of drawing, first, Horizontal or diagonal outline line segments L1 to L
4, as shown in FIG.
Dividing line D1~ parallel to the Y axis that intersects with the end point or intersection of 4
While cutting each outline line segment L1 to L4 by D4,
For the arbitrary angle external line segment L1, the right end point of the diagonal line segment L11 and the diagonal line segment L12 generated by cutting by the dividing line D2.
Since the left end point of is no longer on grid G, both end points are moved to the nearest grid G1 in order to continue the process. As a result, the oblique line segment L11 and the oblique line segment L12 have different slopes.

Next, as shown in FIG.
2 is the left slit, and the area between the dividing lines D2 and D3 is the right slit, and a group of outline line segments that intersect the left slit at right angles or obliquely, and an outline line that intersects the right slit at right angles or obliquely. Find each subgroup. Therefore, in this case, L11 and L2 are obtained as the group of line segments for the left slit, and L12 and L3 are obtained as the group of line segments for the right slit.

After this, a pair of auxiliary line segments I11 and I12 are generated at the right end point of the line segment L11 in the left slit, and a pair of auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 are generated at the right end point of the line segment L12 in the right slit. . Then, the outer line segments L11, L2 and auxiliary line segments I11, I12 in the left slit, and the outer line segment L12 in the right slit.
, L3 and the auxiliary line segments I21 and I22, the line segments are merged between both slits, and the line segments that could not be merged in the left slit are output. Therefore, in this case, outline line segments L11, L2 and auxiliary line segments I11, I12 are output.

Next, by setting the area between dividing lines D2 and D3 as a left slit, and setting the area between dividing lines D3 and D4 as a right slit, L12 and L31 are formed as a group of outline line segments of the left slit. Then, L4 and L32 are obtained as a group of outline line segments of the right slit. After this, a pair of auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 are generated from the right end point of the line segment L12 in the left slit, and the outer line segments L12 and L31 and the auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 in the left slit are
Examine the relationship with the external line segments L4 and L32 in the right slit,
The line segments are merged between both slits, and the line segments that could not be merged in the left slit are output.

Therefore, in this case, the outline line segments L31 and L3
2 are merged, and the auxiliary line segment I22 and the outline line segment L
4 are merged, and the outline line segment L12 and the auxiliary line segment I21 are output as line segments that could not be merged. Furthermore, by setting the area sandwiched between dividing lines D3 and D4 as a left slit and setting the area to the right of dividing line D4 as a right slit, the group of outline line segments of the left slit is L3 and L4'.
(=I22+L4) is obtained, and no outline line segment group is obtained for the right slit. Therefore, in this case, line segments cannot be merged between both slits, and line segments L3, L4' (=I2
2+L4) is output as a line segment that could not be merged.

As a result, the figure pattern F0 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16, is divided into four basic figures: triangles F10 and F11 and rectangles F12 and F12.

[0009]

However, in the conventional figure dividing method, as shown in FIG. 16, the diagonal line segment L11 and the diagonal line segment L12 have different slopes, so it is difficult to merge the left slit and the right slit. There is a problem that many divided figures having arbitrary angular sides different from the slope of the arbitrary angular outer line segment L1 in the figure pattern F0 are output due to the inclination of the outer line segment L1 of the figure pattern F0. There is a problem that the error becomes large.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is possible to reduce the number of divided figures, and
It is an object of the present invention to reduce the error in area between a polygonal figure pattern and a divided figure group.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has an outline line segment having an arbitrary angle whose slope is not ±1 in orthogonal two-dimensional coordinates, and all end points of the outline line segment or When forming a polygonal figure pattern in which the intersection points are arranged on a grid formed at minimum intervals for creating exposure data, the intersection points are parallel to one of the two coordinate axes and pass through each of the grids. Translate the scan line along the other coordinate axis. Scanning lines that intersect with the end points or intersections of each contour line segment of the figure pattern are sequentially used as dividing lines to cut each contour line segment, and for contour line segments at arbitrary angles, a pair of lines generated by cutting the contour line segments by the dividing line Move each endpoint of minutes onto the nearest grid.

Next, among the dividing lines, one dividing line is used as a reference, and the area sandwiched between the reference dividing line and the next dividing line in the forward direction of movement of the scanning line is defined as the front slit. The area sandwiched between the reference dividing line and the previous dividing line in the rearward direction of movement of the scanning line is defined as a rear slit,
A group of outline line segments intersecting the front slit at right angles or obliquely and a group of outline line segments intersecting the rear slit at right angles or obliquely are determined.

[0013] Then, by examining the relationship between each contour line segment in the front slit and each contour line segment in the rear slit and merging the line segments between the front slit and the rear slit, the polygon to be formed is determined. The figure pattern is divided into basic figures such as rectangles and triangles or drawing unit figures which are units of drawing. At this time, when using the arbitrary dividing line as a reference, the diagonal outline line segment of at least one of the front slits or the rear slit and the outline line segment of the other slit are the same on the figure pattern. When the outline line segment has an arbitrary angle, it is returned to the original outline line segment with an arbitrary angle by merging the two line segments between the front slit and the rear slit.

[0014]

[Operation] In the present invention, when an arbitrary dividing line is used as a reference, the diagonal outline line segment of at least one of the front slits or the rear slit and the outline line segment of the other slit are arranged on the figure pattern. When the outline line segment is the same arbitrary angle, the number of divided figures is reduced because by merging both the line segments between the front slit and the back slit, it is returned to the original arbitrary angle outline line segment. At the same time, the error in area between the graphic pattern and the divided graphic group is reduced.

[0015]

[Example] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention is shown in Figs.
This will be explained according to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a schematic electrical configuration of an exposure data creation device for implementing the present invention. The CPU 1 of the exposure data creation device includes a system control section 2, a graphic data input section 3 to be processed, a graphic processing section 4 that performs graphic enlargement/reduction processing, graphic logical operation processing, graphic division processing, etc., and a drawing data output processing section 5. Create drawing figures. That is, when the system control section 2 receives the control command 6 instructing the graphic conversion process, it starts a predetermined graphic processing program and reads the graphic data 7 into the graphic data input section 3 to be processed. Note that in the graphic data 7, the end points or intersection points of the outline line segments may not be located on a grid formed at minimum intervals for creating exposure data in orthogonal XY two-dimensional coordinates. In this case, in the figure enlargement/reduction process, it is checked whether the object is located on the grid, and the object is placed on the grid so that the coordinate value becomes larger on the nearest grid. Then, the system control unit 2 uses the work direct access device 8 to execute various graphic processing in the graphic processing unit 4, outputs the processing progress to the processing list 9, and outputs the output data 10 of the drawn graphic to a magnetic tape or the like. let

FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing details of the graphic dividing process in the graphic processing program executed by the graphic processing section 4. First, among the graphic data 7 input to the processed graphic data input section 3 in step 11, one polygon data having an external line segment with an arbitrary angle whose slope is not ±1 is segmented into lines. That is, for example, in the figure pattern F0 shown in FIG. 4, horizontal or diagonal outline line segments are taken out and
The line segment data consisting of the left end point X coordinate, left end point Y coordinate, right end point X coordinate, right end point Y coordinate, and slope are stored in the internal storage area M1 as a graphic line segment format as shown in . Therefore, only the line segment data of the oblique line segment L1 and the line segments L2 to L4 parallel to the X-axis are stored in the internal storage area M1.

Next, in step 12, the left end point X coordinate is set to the first
Using the Y coordinate of the left end point as a second key and the Y coordinate of the right end point as a third key, the line segment data stored in the internal storage area M1 in step 11 are arranged in ascending order. That is, in the graphic pattern F0 of FIG. 4, the line segments L1 to L4 are arranged in this order. Next, in step 13, the scanning line that passes through the grid G with the minimum interval for graphic processing and is parallel to the Y axis is translated along the X axis, and first the end points or A scanning line intersecting the intersection is defined as a dividing line D1. In addition, in this embodiment, the scanning line is scanned in the direction where the Y coordinate value increases, and
It is translated in a direction where the X coordinate value increases. Therefore,
As shown by the broken line in FIG. 4, the X coordinate of the smallest left end point in the internal storage area M1, that is, the X coordinate of the left end point of the line segment L1 becomes the dividing line D1. Then, a line segment having the same left end point X coordinate as the dividing line D1 and intersecting the dividing line D1 at right angles or diagonally is shown in FIG.
It is stored in the left slit line segment storage area M2 shown in FIG. When the line segment data having the left end point X coordinate larger than the dividing line D1 is input, in step 14, the smallest right end point X coordinate of the line segment in the left slit line segment storage area M2 and the left end point larger than the above dividing line D1 are input. Compared with the point X coordinate, the smaller one is set as the next dividing line D2. By using this dividing line D2 as a reference, the area sandwiched between this dividing line D2 and the previous dividing line D1 at the rear in the moving direction of the scanning line becomes a left slit as a rear slit.

Then, in step 15, as shown in FIG.
Cut into two line segments at 2. In step 16, dividing line D
The right line segment cut by 2 and the line segment having the same left end point X coordinate as the dividing line D2 and intersecting the dividing line D2 at right angles or obliquely are connected to the right side line segment which has the same structure as the left slit line segment storage area M2. It is stored in the slit line segment storage area M3. Parting line D
When line segment data with a left end point X coordinate larger than 2 is input, the smallest right end point X coordinate of the line segment in the right slit line segment storage area M3 is compared with the left end point X coordinate larger than the above dividing line D2. Then, the smaller one is set as the next dividing line D3. By using the dividing line D2 as a reference, the area sandwiched between the dividing line D2 and the next dividing line D3 in the forward direction of movement of the scanning line becomes the right slit as the front slit.

In step 17, if the line segment cut by the dividing line D2 in step 15 has an arbitrary angle, the Y coordinate of the right end point of the line segment included in the left slit line segment storage area M2 and the right slit are determined. Change the Y coordinate of the left end point of the line segment included in the line segment storage area M3 to the Y coordinate of the nearest grid,
As information for connecting the two divided line segments, line segment link pointers are added to the left slit line segment storage area M2 and the right slit line segment storage area M3 shown in FIG. Therefore,
In FIG. 5, the diagonal line segment L1 becomes the diagonal line segment L11 due to the dividing line D2.
L12, and the Y coordinate of the right end point of the diagonal line segment L11 and the Y coordinate of the left end point of the diagonal line segment L12 are changed to the Y coordinate of the grid G1. As a result, the oblique line segments L11 and L12 have different slopes. Further, a line segment link pointer indicating the diagonal line segment L12 as a connected line segment is added to the diagonal line segment L11 stored in the left slit line segment storage area M2, and the diagonal line segment L12 stored in the right slit line segment storage area M3 is added. A line segment link pointer is added to indicate the diagonal line segment L11 as a connected line segment. 8A and 8B show the states of the left slit line segment storage area M2 and the right slit line segment storage area M3 when the dividing line D2 in FIG. 5 is used as a reference. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the left slit line segment storage area M2 stores a diagonal line segment L11 and a line segment L2, and the right slit line segment storage area M3 stores a diagonal line segment L12 and a line segment L3. has been done.

Then, in step 18, the line segment data in the right slit line segment storage area M3 is arranged in ascending order by the Y coordinate of the left end point. Next, in step 19, from among the line segment data in the left slit line segment storage area M2, two line segments that are paired vertically are taken out in order from the first data without allowing overlap, and the right slit line segment storage area M3 Of the line segment data in
2, which are paired vertically starting from the first data without allowing any duplication.
Take out the line segment and create the merging processing areas M4L and M shown in FIG.
4R contains the left end point X coordinate, left end point Y coordinate, right end point X coordinate, right end point Y coordinate, and left slit line segment storage area M
2 or a pointer to the right slit line segment storage area M3.

When the drawing unit figures to be output in this figure division process are only rectangles and triangles, if a trapezoid is formed by the two extracted line segments, the position between the two line segments is determined as shown in FIG. A pair of auxiliary line segments in opposite directions are generated, and the auxiliary line segments are added to the merging processing regions M4L and M4R in the form of a rectangle and a triangle. 10A and 10B show the states of the left merging processing area M4L and the right merging processing area M4R when the dividing line D2 in FIG. 5 is used as a reference. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the left merge processing area M4L includes a diagonal line segment L11 and a line segment L.
2 are stored, and auxiliary line segments I11 and I12 generated about the right end point of the diagonal line segment L11 are also stored. Further, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the right merging processing area M4R stores a diagonal line segment L12 and a line segment L3, as well as auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 generated for the right end point of the diagonal line segment L12. is stored.

Then, in step 19, the figure is merged by performing line segment merging processing between the left slit and the right slit based on the information in both merging processing regions M4L and M4R, based on the slit width and the adjacency relationship between the line segments. Perform merge processing. Figure 1
The triangle of line segment L11-I11 shown in 2 and the line segment L12-
When merging triangles I21, line segment L11 and line segment L1
Although the slope is different between 2 and 2, the right end point of line segment L11 and line segment L1
The left end point of 2 is the same, and the left slit line segment storage area M
It can be seen from the line segment link pointers in the 2 and right slit line segment storage areas M3 that these two line segments form the same line segment on the original figure. Therefore, considering the rectangle of the line segment I12-L2 in the left slit line segment storage area M2, the diagonal line segments L11 and L12 shown in FIG. 12 are merged to form the diagonal line segment L12 as shown in FIG. The auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 shown in are extended to the dividing line D1 to become auxiliary line segments I21 and I22 as shown in FIG.
The triangle of 1 and the triangle of line segment L12-I21 are merged. Further, the line segment L2 shown in FIG. 12 is extended to the dividing line D3 to form a line segment I23 as shown in FIG.
A line segment I24 is generated from dividing line D2 to D3.

In step 20, the outline line segment in the right slit changed by the merging process changes the line segment data in the right slit line segment storage area M3 corresponding to the line segment, and the line segment newly generated by the merging process is changed. The right slit line segment storage area M
Register for 3. The line segments in the left slit line segment storage area M2 that could not be merged are stored in the left slit line segment storage area M2 in step 21.
4L is output as divided graphic data 10. Figure 11
shows the state of the right slit line segment storage area M3 at the end of the line segment merging process shown in FIG.

The processes of steps 19, 20, and 21 are repeated until the line segment merging process for the line segment data in the left slit line segment storage area M2 and the right slit line segment storage area M3 is completed. Then, in step 22, the line segment data in the right slit line segment storage area M3 is arranged in ascending order by the Y coordinate of the left end point and stored in the left slit line segment storage area M2.

In step 23, the left slit line segment storage area M
The processes of steps 14 to 23 are repeatedly executed until there is no line segment data in 2, and the processes of steps 11 to 24 are repeatedly executed until there is no polygonal graphic pattern in graphic data 7. As a result, the figure pattern F0 shown in FIG. 4 consists of a triangle F2 and a rectangle F3, as shown in FIG.
, F4.

In this way, in this embodiment, the graphic pattern F
When cutting an arbitrary angle external line segment L1 of 0 into two diagonal line segments L11 and L12 with the dividing line D2, those diagonal line segments L
Line segment link pointers are added to these line segments so that it can be seen that line segments 11 and L12 form the same arbitrary angle outline line segment L1 on the original graphic pattern. Therefore, by checking the information during the line segment merging process between the left slit and the right slit, it is possible to easily return the two diagonal line segments L11 and L12 that have been cut to the original outline line segment of an arbitrary angle. This makes it possible to reduce the number of divided figures and reduce the error in area between the figure pattern and the divided figure group.

In this embodiment, the direction in which the slits are generated is
Although the direction in which the coordinate value increases, the present invention is not limited to this, and the direction in which the slits are generated may be set in any direction, for example, in the direction in which the Y coordinate value increases.

[0028]

As described in detail above, the present invention has the excellent effect of reducing the number of divided figures and reducing the error in area between the polygonal figure pattern and the divided figure group.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic electrical configuration diagram of an exposure data creation device for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing part of a figure division processing program.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing part of a figure division processing program.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of classifying line segments.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of cutting a line segment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing graphic line segment data.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of a slit line segment storage area.

FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing the state of the left slit line segment storage area in the process of line segment merging processing, and (b) is a diagram showing the state of the right slit line segment storage area in the process of line segment merging processing. be.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the structure of a merge processing area.

10(a) is a diagram showing the state of the left merging processing area in the process of line segment merging processing, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing the state of the right merging processing area in the process of line segment merging processing.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the state of the right slit line segment storage area at the end of the line segment merging process.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of operations in the process of line segment merging processing.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation at the end of line segment merging processing.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the result of figure division processing.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of operations in conventional line segment merging processing.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the results of conventional figure division processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU 2 System control section 3. Processed figure data input section 4 Graphic processing section 5 Drawing data output processing section 6 Control commands 7 Shape data 8 Direct access device for work 9 Processing list 10 Output data

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] It has an outline line segment with an arbitrary angle whose slope is not ±1 in orthogonal two-dimensional coordinates, and the end points or intersection points of all the outline segments are formed at minimum intervals for creating exposure data. When forming a polygonal figure pattern arranged on a grid, a scanning line that is parallel to one of the two coordinate axes and passes through each grid is translated along the other coordinate axis, and the figure is Each contour line segment is sequentially cut using a scanning line that intersects the end point or intersection of each contour line segment of the pattern as a dividing line, and a pair of line segments generated by cutting the contour line segment at an arbitrary angle by the dividing line. Move each end point to the nearest grid, use one of the dividing lines as a reference, and move the area sandwiched between that standard dividing line and the next dividing line in the forward direction of the scanning line to the front. In addition to defining the slit, the area sandwiched between the reference dividing line and the previous dividing line at the rear in the moving direction of the scanning line is defined as the rear slit, and a group of outline line segments that intersect at right angles or diagonally with the front slit and at right angles or diagonally with the rear slit. It is formed by finding a group of outline line segments that intersect with each other, examining the relationship between each outline line segment in the front slit and each outline line segment in the back slit, and performing a process of merging the line segments between the front slit and the back slit. In a method of dividing a polygonal figure pattern into basic figures such as rectangles and triangles or drawing unit figures which are units of drawing, at least one of a front slit or a back slit when an arbitrary dividing line is used as a reference. When the diagonal contour line segment of one slit and the contour line segment of the other slit are the same arbitrary angle contour line segment on the figure pattern, both the line segments are A figure dividing method in electron beam exposure, characterized in that a merging process is performed to restore the original outline line segments of arbitrary angles.