Patent ID: 8347255
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: G03F,G06F,H01L,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for equation based retargeting of a design layout of an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising: determining from a set of combinations of values, a subset of combinations of values, each combination of values in the set corresponding to a set of layout parameters of the design layout, the subset of combinations of values forming desirable combinations of values such that when the set of layout parameters take one the desirable combinations of values the design layout results in a photolithographic mask that prints the integrated circuit according to a specification and when the set of layout parameters take another combination of values that is not a desirable combination of values, the design layout results in the photolithographic mask that does not print the integrated circuit according to the specification; determining a contour that includes the desirable combinations of values; computing an equation to determine a retargeting value for a value in a first combination of values from the set of combinations of values such that the first combination of values does not lie within the contour; generating instructions to form a second combination of values by adjusting the value in the first combination such that the second combination of values lies within the contour; retargeting, in an application executing in a data processing system, a shape in the design layout to form a retargeted shape such that the retargeted shape uses the second combination of values for the set of layout parameters; and manufacturing the IC using the retargeted shape.