Area feature sorting mechanism for neighborhood-based proximity correction in lithography processing of integrated circuit patterns

摘要

Proximity correction of an area feature in lithography processing of an integrated circuit device is facilitated by a procedure for locating those area features which lie within a prescribed proximity correction neighborhood of an area feature of interest. The method comprises examining the pattern, for each of a plurality of area windows associated with respective distance increments extending in a first direction across the pattern, to identify those area features which are located within a respective area window extending in a second direction from a respective distance increment, and storing information representative of characteristics of each identified area feature in a group that is associated with that respective area window. For each of the area features whose identities have been stored, a boundary window which delineates the prescribed proximity correction neighborhood relative to that respective area feature is defined. Then, for a respective area feature, those area features that have been stored and geometry data for which are contained within the boundary window for the respective area feature are selected as lying within the prescribed proximity correction neighborhood of the area feature of interest.