Patent ID: 8656322

Claim:
A method for generating shapes for mask design levels for patterning fin structures, said method comprising: a first step of providing an initial design layout including fin template shapes and fin region shapes, wherein intersections of said fin template shapes and said fin region shapes correspond to target areas for fin structures; a second step of quantizing widths of, and centering, channel regions between lengthwise edges neighboring pairs of said fin region shapes by moving said lengthwise edges along a widthwise direction, wherein said quantized widths are based on a characteristic dimension of a self-assembly material; a third step of generating at least one guiding pattern raw patch shape as at least one shape that correspond to complementary areas of said fin region shapes; a fourth step of generating diffusion shapes by extending lengthwise edges of said fin region shapes along a lengthwise direction; a fifth step of generating at least one guiding pattern shape by subtracting areas of said diffusion shapes from said at least one guiding pattern raw patch shape; a sixth step of generating at least one guiding pattern shape set, wherein each of said at least one guiding pattern shape set includes shapes that define a pattern in one of at least one guiding pattern mask; and a seventh step of generating at least one cut shape set, wherein each of said at least one cut shape set includes shapes that define a pattern in one of at least one cut mask, wherein at least one step among said second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh steps is performed employing an apparatus comprising one or more processors in communication with a memory and configured to perform said at least one step.