Source and mask optimization (SMO) is one of the most important resolution enhancement techniques for integrated circuit manufacturing in 2X nm technology node and beyond. Nowadays full-chip SMO is alternatively realized by applying SMO to limited number of selected critical patterns instead of to full-chip area, since it is too computational expensive to be apply SMO in full-chip area directly. The critical patterns are selected by a pattern selection method which enables SMO in full-chip application by balancing the performance and computation consumption. A novel diffraction-based pattern selection method has been proposed in this paper. In this method, diffraction-signatures are sufficiently described with widths in eight selected directions. Coverage rules between the diffraction-signatures are specifically designed. Diffraction-signature grouping method and pattern selection strategy are proposed based on the diffraction-signatures and coverage rules. A series of simulations and comparisons performed using ASML’s Tachyon software, which is one of the state of the art commercial SMO platforms, verify the validity of the proposed method.

中文翻译：

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用于全芯片源和掩模优化的关键模式选择方法。

源和掩模优化（SMO）是2X nm技术节点及以后的集成电路制造中最重要的分辨率增强技术之一。如今，全芯片SMO可以通过将SMO应用于有限数量的选定关键模式而不是应用于全芯片区域来实现，因为直接将SMO应用于全芯片区域的计算量很大。通过模式选择方法选择关键模式，该模式选择方法通过平衡性能和计算消耗在全芯片应用中启用SMO。本文提出了一种新的基于衍射的图案选择方法。在该方法中，在八个选定方向上具有足够的宽度来描述衍射特征。特别设计了衍射签名之间的覆盖规则。提出了一种基于衍射特征和覆盖规则的衍射特征分组方法和图案选择策略。使用ASML的Tachyon软件（最先进的商业SMO平台之一）进行的一系列模拟和比较，验证了该方法的有效性。