Patent ID: 9735029
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method of optimizing self-aligned double patterning, the method comprising: providing predefined locations for required metal cuts in order to form metal wires from metal fills that have been cut; prioritizing the metal wires, such that a highest priority to a lowest priority is determined for the metal wires; expanding the predefined locations for the required metal cuts to have extended locations for extended metal cuts in order to cut adjacent metal fills, the adjacent metal fills being the metal fills that are adjacent to the predefined locations for the required metal cuts, wherein the extended metal cuts extend beyond the required metal cuts, wherein the metal wires having been prioritized from the highest priority to the lowest priority are associated with the extended locations for the extended metal cuts because the extended locations are expanded from the predefined locations; performing a check on the extended locations for the extended metal cuts in an order of the highest priority to the lowest priority of the extended locations for the extended metal cuts, such that a probability of having to remove the extended locations associated with the metal wires having a higher priority is smaller than having to remove the extended locations associated with the metal wires having a lower priority; and performing the required metal cuts into the metal fills and the extended metal cuts into the adjacent metal fills.