JPH1187212A - Data processing method for photo mask formation, and pattern drawing equipment for photo mask formation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable easy and sure changing drawing parameters for forming a photo mask for pattern transfer. SOLUTION: The respective drawing parameters for forming a photo mask for pattern transfer are distinguished by using key words (S0). A file of pattern drawing parameters for forming a photo mask is retrieved with the key words by using a interactive mode (S1-S3). When the corresponding drawing parameter is detected (S4), an operator changes the corresponding part of the drawing parameter by using the interactive mode (S5). The changed drawing parameter is stored in a storing means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the manufacture of a photomask for pattern transfer used when forming a semiconductor integrated circuit or the like on a wafer.
A data processing method for creating a photomask that enables changing data used to create a photomask for pattern transfer used when a semiconductor integrated circuit or the like is formed on a wafer, and a method for processing the data processing method for creating a photomask The present invention relates to a pattern drawing apparatus for preparing a photomask.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a semiconductor integrated circuit is formed on a silicon wafer or the like, drawing is performed using a photomask for pattern transfer. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in a certain region D of the silicon wafer, a plurality of drawing portions of the chips A, B, and C are formed by a pattern transfer photomask configured by the drawing pattern file illustrated in FIG. It is drawn using the drawing drive file. Such a drawing file is stored in a drawing device having a built-in computer, for example, MEBE manufactured by ETEC System.
An S-series drawing apparatus is used to draw a pattern transfer photomask.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, for example, the chip A will be described below.

Table 1 CHIP1 indicates a chip A, ＄ (1, A000000-00-00) indicates a drawing file name and drawing conditions, etc., and ROWS 65487.00 / 54099.00 indicates a center position coordinate of the chip A. = 65487.00 Y = 54099.00.

The same applies to other chips.

[0006]

The above-described pattern transfer, for example, when it is necessary to finely set the above-mentioned drawing parameters due to a change in the process conditions of semiconductor manufacturing, a difference in the area density of the drawing pattern, or the like. Occasionally, the user wants to change the photomask. Conventionally, such writing parameters can be changed by directly using a writing apparatus and directly changing a file stored therein (the former), or by using a photomask for pattern transfer used in a preparation stage before the writing. It was manually changed in the data preparation device (the latter).

The former has the advantage that the drawing parameters can be changed in the vicinity of the site of the drawing operation due to the fluctuation of the process conditions. However, in the file for the pattern transfer photomask stored in the drawing apparatus, It was very troublesome for a worker to search for and change the relevant drawing parameter shown as a simple data sequence from the above. In addition, for a worker who performs such drawing, changing drawing parameters by making full use of a computer incorporated in the drawing apparatus also requires advanced computer knowledge. Further, if a part that should not be changed by mistake is changed, an error occurs in subsequent drawing, and there is a problem that a wrong photomask for pattern transfer is generated.

In the latter case, the drawing parameters are changed by using an apparatus for creating photomask data for pattern transfer. Therefore, there is an advantage that the change can be surely performed, but the change must be made at a place remote from the drawing work site. And there is a problem that the work efficiency is reduced. further,
Even in the latter case, the corresponding drawing parameter shown as a simple data array is searched from the pattern transfer photomask file stored in the computer that creates the pattern transfer photomask data and changed. Doing it was very cumbersome for the workers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a data processing method for preparing a photomask, which makes it possible to easily and surely change parameters for a photomask for pattern transfer, both at the site of a drawing operation and at a preparation stage. Another object of the present invention is to provide a photomask-forming pattern drawing apparatus capable of easily and reliably changing a drawing parameter for a photomask for pattern transfer at a drawing work site.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a keyword is assigned to each of the drawing parameters for a photomask for pattern transfer, and the keyword is searched for to find a corresponding drawing parameter. A data processing method for making a photomask which is changeable is provided. Preferably, the change of the drawing parameter is performed interactively.

Further, according to the present invention, a storage means for storing a pattern transfer photomask drawing file represented by attaching a keyword to each of the pattern transfer photomask drawing parameters, and a storage means for storing the pattern transfer photomask drawing file. A pattern drawing device for creating a photomask, comprising: means for searching for a corresponding drawing parameter from the file by referring to the keyword; and means for changing a predetermined portion of the corresponding drawing parameter in the searched file. You.

[0012]

In the data processing method for producing a photomask according to the present invention, a keyword is added to clarify the delimiter of the drawing parameter, and the search for the corresponding drawing parameter is made easier by referring to the keyword. Further, the operator can easily and surely change the predetermined drawing parameters in an interactive manner.

The photomask making pattern drawing apparatus of the present invention is loaded with a program for executing the above-described photomask making data processing method, and is provided in the vicinity of the drawing operation or in the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus. Drawing parameters can be easily changed. of course,
You can also check the drawing parameters.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a data processing method for producing a photomask according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows, as an embodiment of the present invention, an example of a file including a plurality of drawing parameters for a drawing pattern for a photomask for pattern transfer illustrated in FIG. FIG. FIG.
1 is a partial configuration diagram of a pattern drawing apparatus for producing a photomask as one embodiment of the present invention, for example, a drawing apparatus of the MEBES series manufactured by ETEC System. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a data changing process in the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus of FIG. 4 as an embodiment of the photomask making data processing method of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a file after the file of FIG. 3 has been changed.

In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, * KEYA * KEYB * KEYC * KEYD or the like is added as a keyword to the drawing parameter for each chip, and the delimitation of the drawing parameter is clarified. . This keyword is usually added when the photomask creation data is created by a computer that creates the photomask creation data.

The photomask making pattern drawing parameter file 1 based on the keyword to which the keyword is added is applied to the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. The pattern drawing apparatus 10 for creating a photomask illustrated in FIG. 4 shows only a part for performing a process of changing the drawing parameter of the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameter for the photomask creation by the above-described keyword. Not shown. The pattern drawing apparatus 10 for creating a photomask includes a file reading unit 11, a file storage unit 12, an interactive processing unit 13, a keyword searching unit 14, a determining unit 15,
It comprises a parameter changing means 16 and an output means 17.

Hereinafter, the operation of the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. Step 0 (S0): As described above, a keyword using a keyword as illustrated in FIG. 3 by a photomask creation pattern drawing parameter file creation device (not shown) different from the photomask creation pattern drawing device Creates a file 1 of pattern drawing parameters for creating a photomask.

Step 1: The file reading means 11 of the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus 10 reads the file 1 of the photomask making pattern drawing parameter by keyword and stores it in the file storage means 12. The file storage unit 12 stores a file 1 of a pattern drawing parameter for creating a photomask based on a keyword illustrated in FIG. 3 using the keyword as identification information.

Step 2: The worker enters the file storage means 1
When the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameter for creating a photomask by the keyword stored in the file 2 is confirmed, or when the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameter for creating the photomask by the keyword is to be changed, the CRT is used.
The contents of the file storage unit 12 are read out using the interactive processing unit 13 composed of a keyboard and a keyboard. If the operator wants to change the drawing parameters, the interactive processing means 13
Give that instruction from. The dialogue processing means 13 drives the keyword search means 14 when a change of the keyword is instructed.

Step 3: The keyword searching means 14 searches the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameters for creating a photomask based on the keywords stored in the file storage means 12 for drawing parameters to be changed by referring to the keywords. Since the drawing parameters are stored in the file storage unit 12 for each keyword, the keyword search unit 14 can easily search for the corresponding drawing parameter.

Step 4: The determining means 15 cooperates with the interactive processing means 13 to determine whether or not the drawing parameters searched by the keyword searching means 14 are desired by the operator. Normally, the drawing parameters searched by the keyword search means 14 are displayed on the CRT display device via the output means 17. When the drawing parameters displayed on the CRT display device are applicable, the operator issues a confirmation instruction from a switch of the interactive processing means 13. If the drawing parameters displayed on the CRT display device are not applicable, the operator presses the mismatch switch of the interactive processing means 13. In this case, the determination means 15 is the keyword search means 14
Is driven again to perform a search operation for the next keyword.

Step 5: In the case of the corresponding drawing parameter, the judging means 15 drives the parameter changing means 16. The operator corrects the changed part of the drawing parameter displayed on the CRT display device via the interactive processing means 13. As a method of changing the parameters in the present embodiment, a keyboard cooperating with a CRT display device is used.
Change the relevant parameters. In this example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the chip 3 (CHIPC) illustrated in FIG.
The example in which the change value of the electron beam dose is changed to SC = 110.50 is shown. When the confirmation button of the interactive processing unit 13 is pressed, the parameter changing unit 16 rewrites the drawing parameters corrected by the operator to the corresponding memory area of the file storage unit 12. Thereby, the file in the file storage unit 12 is changed.

Step 6: If it is desired to change the drawing parameters for other chips, the above operation is repeated.

As described above, the operator can change the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameters for creating a photomask by using the keyword using the pattern drawing apparatus for creating a photomask. As described above, since the work is performed in an interactive manner in a manner that is easy for the operator to recognize, the change of the drawing parameter is easy, and the change of the drawing parameter is reliable.

If the operator only wants to check the contents of the file 1 of the pattern drawing parameters for creating a photomask by a keyword, the change operation in step 6 need not be performed.

Although one embodiment of the data processing method for forming a photomask and the pattern drawing apparatus for forming a photomask according to the present invention has been described above, it is also possible to change other drawing parameters in an interactive manner as described above. Can be.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment when applied to the data processing method for forming a photomask and the pattern drawing apparatus for forming a photomask of the present invention, and can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art within the scope described in the claims. Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0028]

According to the data processing method for producing a photomask of the present invention, since each of the drawing parameters for the photomask for pattern transfer is assigned a keyword, the corresponding drawing parameter can be determined by referring to the keyword. Can be searched reliably and easily. Further, according to the photomask creation data processing method of the present invention, since the drawing parameters can be confirmed and changed in an interactive manner, the changing of the drawing parameters is reliable and easy.

According to the pattern drawing apparatus for producing a photomask of the present invention, desired drawing parameters can be changed easily and quickly at the drawing operation stage. As a result, the efficiency of the drawing operation increases. Further, according to the pattern drawing apparatus for preparing a photomask of the present invention, the drawing parameters can be changed easily and quickly, so that the fine drawing parameters can be changed in accordance with the process conditions. Quality is higher.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to quickly and easily confirm the contents of a file of a pattern drawing parameter for creating a photomask by using a keyword. In particular, a file of a pattern drawing parameter for creating a photomask using a keyword before change and a file of a pattern drawing parameter for creating a photomask using a keyword after change can be confirmed at the site of a drawing operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern for a photomask for pattern transfer.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a file including a plurality of drawing parameters for a drawing pattern for a photomask for pattern transfer illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a file including a plurality of drawing parameters for a drawing pattern for a photomask for pattern transfer illustrated in FIG. 1 corresponding to FIG. 2 using a keyword, according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a figure showing the example of.

FIG. 4 is a partial configuration diagram of a pattern drawing apparatus for creating a photomask as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a data change process in the photomask making pattern drawing apparatus of FIG. 4 as an embodiment of the photomask making data processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a file after the file in FIG. 3 is changed.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. File of pattern drawing parameters for creating photomask by keyword 10. Pattern drawing apparatus for creating photomask 11. File reading means 12. File storage means 13. Interactive processing means 14. Keyword searching means 15. .Judgment means 16... Parameter changing means 17... Output means

Claims (3)

[Claims] A data processing method for creating a photomask which attaches a keyword to each of the drawing parameters for a photomask for pattern transfer, searches for the keyword, finds a corresponding drawing parameter, and enables the searched drawing parameter to be changed. Method. 2. The data processing method for creating a photomask according to claim 1, wherein said writing parameters are changed in an interactive manner. 3. A storage means for storing a pattern transfer photomask drawing file expressed by attaching a keyword to each of the pattern transfer photomask drawing parameters; and A pattern drawing apparatus for creating a photomask, comprising: means for searching for a relevant drawing parameter by referring to a keyword; and means for changing a predetermined portion of the relevant drawing parameter in the searched file.