JPH04291255A - Alignment pattern generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically generate exposure data containing a desired alignment pattern only by applying required information. CONSTITUTION:This alignment pattern generator, which fetchs various alignment pattern data corresponding to exposure alignment conditions or mask manufacture conditions from the inside of a prescribed library (a) and transforms the relevant pattern data to graphic data, plural tables (b) is provided with a selecting means (d) selecting a prescribed retrieval index attached to each alignment pattern data in the above-mentioned library, and plural tables grouping and storing the respective retrieval indexes of a group of various pattern data used for the same exposure alignment, and the table according to the above- mentioned conditions, and a data fetching means (c) fetching the pattern data from the inside of the above-mentioned library based on the retrieval index in the said selected table.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an alignment pattern generator, and more particularly, to mask creation data for semiconductor circuits (
The present invention relates to an alignment pattern (also referred to as a process pattern) generator such as an exposure positioning mark and a length measurement mark included in exposure data (exposure data). In general, the types and shapes of the above alignment patterns are unique to each exposure device, and the number and types of alignment patterns tend to increase further as alignment becomes more complex and exposure devices become more diverse in recent years. It is in.

[0002] These trends make it difficult to create alignment patterns and run counter to the requirement for shorter exposure data.

0003

[Background Art] Conventional alignment pattern creation involves creating a library of shape data (data such as vertex coordinates of polygonal figures) for each alignment pattern in advance, and determining which pattern data is extracted from the library as needed. ■Determine the coordinates (placement coordinates) on the mask where the pattern data will be placed ■Create a program to create exposure data based on these determined information, ■Run this program, and perform the steps in the above ■ The determined pattern data is retrieved from the library, and the retrieved pattern data is combined with the arrangement coordinates determined in step (2) above to generate exposure data.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional alignment pattern generator, the main processes such as determining the extraction pattern and arrangement coordinates and creating the job program are performed manually. There are problems in that pattern generation efficiency is poor and that it is difficult to maintain the quality of exposure data because human errors are inevitable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable automatic generation of exposure data including a desired alignment pattern simply by providing necessary information.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, as shown in the principle diagram in FIG. An alignment pattern generation device that extracts the pattern data and converts the pattern data into graphic data, which extracts a predetermined search index attached to each alignment pattern data in the library and a group of various pattern data to be subjected to the same exposure alignment. a plurality of tables for grouping and storing each search index; a selection means for selecting a table according to the conditions; and a data extraction means for extracting pattern data from the library based on the search index in the selected table. It is characterized by having the following.

[0007]

[Operation] In the present invention, when necessary information such as exposure alignment conditions and mask manufacturing conditions is provided, desired pattern data is retrieved from the library based on the search index in the table selected according to this information. Pattern data is converted to graphic data. Therefore, exposure data including a desired alignment pattern can be automatically generated by simply providing the necessary information.

[0008]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. 2 to 7 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an alignment pattern generation device according to the present invention. First, the system configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. 10 is a display device 1
0a, a keyboard 10b, etc., and a terminal section operated by a designer etc. in an interactive manner; 11 is a terminal section 10;
Parameter input program...abbreviation: PRGIN graphic data conversion program...abbreviation: PRGCNV1 job control language conversion program...abbreviation: PRGCNV2 graphic data/job language output program...abbreviation :PRGOU
a processing unit (selection means, data retrieval means) that selects T and executes processing for each selected program (parameter input processing, graphic data conversion processing, job control language conversion processing, graphic data/job language output processing, etc.); 13 is a first work disk that temporarily stores predetermined input parameters (details will be described later) input from the terminal unit 10 during execution of parameter input processing, and 13 is output data generated during graphic data/job language output processing. 14 is a magnetic tape that holds the completed output data in the second work disk 13 and transports it to an exposure device (not shown); 15 is a chip parameter table whose contents are referenced or updated for each process; This is a data disk that stores (TCHIP), conversion table (TCNV), and alignment pattern library file (PLIB).

FIG. 3 shows the above two tables TCHIP and T
It is a conceptual diagram of CNV and file PLIB. Chip parameter table: TCHIP A table provided for each type of IC, for example, and each table has the following items set. I.C. TYPE$: IC type name (however, $ is a variable, the same applies hereafter) C. SIZE$: IC chip size B. SIZE$: IC block size SYS. TYP
E$: Mask exposure equipment name M. SIZE$: Mask inch size LY#: Layer number, for example, a serial number from #1 to #n, and the name of the TCNV corresponding to each layer number is written.

[0010] EOF: End of file mark (mark indicating the end of data, the same applies hereinafter) Conversion table: TCNV Similarly to the above, for example, a table provided for each type of IC, and each table has the following items set. . CNV$: TCNV name for each IC type PTN#: Search index attached to each alignment pattern, for example #1
The arrangement coordinates (X1Y1) . . . (XmYm) according to the IC type are set for each number with consecutive numbers from ~#m.

[0011] LY#: A layer number similar to the above TCHIP, and a search index for the alignment pattern necessary for each layer is set. Alignment pattern library file: PLIB stores various alignment pattern data (vertex coordinates of polygonal figures) and represents each alignment pattern data with search indexes PTN#1 to PTN#, common to all IC types. This is the file.

These two tables TCHIP, TCN
V and one file PLIB are TCHIP and TCNV
There is a link between “CNV$” and TCNV
and PLIB are linked by "PTN#". Therefore, one TCHIP is selected using the IC type name (IC.TYPE$) as a keyword, and this selected TCHIP is
One TCN using CNV$ in CHIP as a keyword
You can select V. And the PTN in this selected TCNV
Various alignment pattern data can be extracted using # as a keyword.

Next, each processing procedure will be explained according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 to 7. (1) Parameter input processing In FIG. 4, input parameters from the keyboard 10b at step 20, such as IC type name, chip size, etc.
Parameters related to exposure process conditions or mask manufacturing conditions such as block size, mask exposure equipment name, mask inch size, etc. are accepted, and after checking the input parameters in step 21, the data disk 15 is
Write it down. (2) Graphic data conversion process In FIG. 5, one TCH with the same name (IC.TYPE$) as the IC type of the input parameter is selected in step 30.
Select the IP and specify the layer number for creating an alignment pattern in step 31. Then step 3
2, one TCN according to the CNV in the layer number field
V is selected, and the insertion pattern and arrangement coordinates for each layer are determined in steps 33 and 34. And step 3
After accessing the PLIB in step 5 and extracting the vertex coordinates for each pattern in step 36, the format conversion of the graphic data is executed in step 37, and the second
Export to work disk 13.

[0014] That is, the specified layer number is LY#1.
According to the table example shown in FIG. 3, PTN#1 and PTN#2 are set in the same number column of TCNV, so using these PTN#1 and PTN#2 as keywords, from PLIB, Two alignment patterns (P
TN#1, PTN#2) are extracted, format converted, and stored on the second work disk 13.
is stored in (3) Job control language conversion process In FIG. 6, one TCHIP is selected according to the input parameters in step 40, a predetermined program for exposure data conversion (generally a job control language program) is generated in step 41, and a second work Write to disk 13. (4) Graphic data/job language output processing In Figure 7,
In step 50, the exposure data in the second work disk 13 The graphic data and program generated in (2) and (3) above are designated as a pair, and in step 51 they are copied onto the magnetic tape 14. The data and program in the work disk 13 are deleted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the chip parameter table "TCHIP" and the conversion table "TC
NV'' and alignment pattern data library file ``PLIB'', and linked these tables and files using predetermined information (CNV and PTN#), just by specifying the IC type, layer number, etc. Various necessary alignment pattern data can be extracted from the library file, and exposure data generation can be automated.

[0016] Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of pattern generation and the quality of exposure data by reducing human involvement.

[0017]

According to the present invention, exposure data including a desired alignment pattern can be automatically generated simply by providing necessary information, and the efficiency of pattern generation and the quality of exposure data can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of tables and files in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of parameter input processing in one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of graphic data conversion processing in one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of job control language conversion processing according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of graphic data/job language output processing in one embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Processing unit (selection means, data retrieval means) PLI
B: Alignment pattern library file (library) PTN#: Search index TCHIP, TCNV: Table

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An alignment pattern generation device that extracts various alignment pattern data matching exposure process conditions and mask manufacturing conditions from a predetermined library and converts the pattern data into exposure data, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of tables for grouping and storing a predetermined search index attached to alignment pattern data and each search index of a group of various pattern data to be subjected to the same exposure process; and a selection means for selecting a table according to the conditions. An alignment pattern generation device comprising: data extraction means for extracting pattern data from the library based on a search index in a selected table.