Adaptive Optical Proximity Correction Using an Optimization Method

This paper proposes a new approach to the optical proximity correction (OPC) method which reduces OPC calculation loads by employing an optimization method. OPC is a method of correcting for a mask pattern to improve the fidelity of an image pattern on a silicon wafer. However, conventional OPC calculations have become increasingly complex as the size of semiconductor devices becomes even smaller. In order to overcome this problem, we propose an adaptive OPC technology using an optimization method to realize OPC for the full-chip area at fast operational speeds. The effectiveness of this approach in terms of reduced OPC calculation times and highly-accurate correction is demonstrated through computational experiments.