Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100003605 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROJECTION LITHOGRAPHY WITH IMMERSED IMAGE-ALIGNED DIFFRACTIVE ELEMENT - A novel system and method and computer program product for exposing a photoresist film with patterns of finer resolution than can physically be projected onto the film in an ordinary image formed at the same wavelength. A hologram structure containing a set of resolvable spatial frequencies is first formed above the photoresist film. If necessary the photoresist is then sensitized. An illuminating wavefront containing a second set of resolvable spatial frequencies is projected through the hologram, forming a new set of transmitted spatial frequencies that expose the photoresist. The transmitted spatial frequencies include sum frequencies of higher frequency than is present in the hologram or illuminating wavefront, increasing the resolution of the exposing pattern. These high spatial frequency transmitted waves can be evanescent, or they can propagate at a steeper obliquity in a higher index medium than is possible in a projected image. A further method is described for designing lithographic masks to fabricate the hologram and to project the illuminating wavefront. In other embodiments, a simple personalization based on Talbot fringes and plasmonic interference is performed. | 01-07-2010 |
20100153901 | Determining manufacturability of lithographic mask by reducing target edge pairs used in determining a manufacturing penalty of the lithographic mask - The manufacturability of a lithographic mask employed in fabricating instances of a semiconductor device is determined. Target edge pairs are selected from mask layout data of the lithographic mask to determine a manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. The mask layout data includes polygons, where each polygon has edges, and where each target edge pair is defined by two of the edges of one or more of the polygons. The number of the target edge pairs is reduced to decrease computational volume in determining the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask, including the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, is determined based on the target edge pairs as reduced in number. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is output. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is dependent on the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. | 06-17-2010 |
20100153902 | DETERMINING MANUFACTURABILITY OF LITHOGRAPHIC MASK BY SELECTING TARGET EDGE PAIRS USED IN DETERMINING A MANUFACTURING PENALTY OF THE LITHOGRAPHIC MASK - The manufacturability of a lithographic mask employed in fabricating instances of a semiconductor device is determined. Target edges are selected from mask layout data of the lithographic mask. The mask layout data includes polygons distributed over cells, where each polygon has edges. The cells include a center cell, two vertical cells above and below the center cell, and two horizontal cells to the left and right of the center cell. Target edge pairs are selected for determining a manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, in a manner that decreases the computational volume in determining the manufacturing penalty. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask, including the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, is determined based on the target edge pairs selected. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is output. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is dependent on the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. | 06-17-2010 |
20100153903 | DETERMINING MANUFACTURABILITY OF LITHOGRAPHIC MASK USING CONTINUOUS DERIVATIVES CHARACTERIZING THE MANUFACTURABILITY ON A CONTINUOUS SCALE - The manufacturability of a lithographic mask employed in fabricating instances of a semiconductor device is determined. Target edge pairs are selected from mask layout data of the lithographic mask, for determining a manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. The mask layout data includes polygons, where each polygon has a number of edges. Each target edge pair is defined by two of the edges of one or more of the polygons. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask, including the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask, is determined. Determining the manufacturing penalty is based on the target edge pairs as selected. Determining the manufacturability of the lithographic mask uses continuous derivatives characterizing the manufacturability of the lithographic mask on a continuous scale. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is output. The manufacturability of the lithographic mask is dependent on the manufacturing penalty in making the lithographic mask. | 06-17-2010 |
20120008134 | METHOD TO MATCH EXPOSURE TOOLS USING A PROGRAMMABLE ILLUMINATOR - Programmable illuminators in exposure tools are employed to increase the degree of freedom in tool matching. A tool matching methodology is provided that utilizes the fine adjustment of the individual source pixel intensity based on a linear programming (LP) problem subjected to user-specific constraints to minimize the difference of the lithographic wafer data between two tools. The lithographic data can be critical dimension differences from multiple targets and multiple process conditions. This LP problem can be modified to include a binary variable for matching sources using multi-scan exposure. The method can be applied to scenarios that the reference tool is a physical tool or a virtual ideal tool. In addition, this method can match different lithography systems, each including a tool and a mask. | 01-12-2012 |
20120047471 | DYNAMIC PROVISIONAL DECOMPOSITION OF LITHOGRAPHIC PATTERNS HAVING DIFFERENT INTERACTION RANGES - A method for obtaining mask and source patterns for printing integrated circuit patterns includes providing initial representations of a plurality of mask and source patterns. The method identifies long-range and short-range factors in the representations of the plurality of mask and source patterns, and provides a plurality of clips including a specified number of mask patterns. Short-range factors having overlapping ranges for each of the clips are specified. The method includes determining an initial processing priority for the plurality of clips, and determining a patterning relationship between integrated circuit patterns and the mask and source patterns. A primary objective is determined which expresses the printability of the integrated circuit patterns in terms of the patterning relationship. The method defines and iteratively solves a master problem employing the primary objective to generate values for the long-range factors, and solves subproblems employing a second objective for generating values for the short-range factors. | 02-23-2012 |
20120077130 | METHOD FOR GENERATING A PLURALITY OF OPTIMIZED WAVEFRONTS FOR A MULTIPLE EXPOSURE LITHOGRAPHIC PROCESS - A simplified version of a multiexpose mask optimization problem is solved in order to find a compressed space in which to search for the solution to the full problem formulation. The simplification is to reduce the full problem to an unconstrained formulation. The full problem of minimizing dark region intensity while maintaining intensity above threshold at each bright point can be converted to the unconstrained problem of minimizing average dark region intensity per unit of average intensity in the bright regions. The extrema solutions to the simplified problem can be obtained for each source. This set of extrema solutions is then assessed to determine which features are predominantly printed by which source. A minimal set of extrema solutions serves as a space of reduced dimensionality within which to maximize the primary objective under constraints. The space typically has reduced dimensionality through selection of highest quality extrema solutions. | 03-29-2012 |
20130071774 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROJECTION LITHOGRAPHY WITH IMMERSED IMAGE-ALIGNED DIFFRACTIVE ELEMENT - A novel system and method and computer program product for exposing a photoresist film with patterns of finer resolution than can physically be projected onto the film in an ordinary image formed at the same wavelength. A hologram structure containing a set of resolvable spatial frequencies is first formed above the photoresist film. An illuminating wavefront containing a second set of resolvable spatial frequencies is projected through the hologram, forming a new set of transmitted spatial frequencies that expose the photoresist. The transmitted spatial frequencies include sum frequencies of higher frequency than is present in the hologram or illuminating wavefront, increasing the resolution of the exposing pattern. A further method is described for designing lithographic masks to fabricate the hologram and to project the illuminating wavefront. In other embodiments, a simple personalization based on Talbot fringes and plasmonic interference is performed. | 03-21-2013 |
20130263063 | MASK DESIGN METHOD, PROGRAM, AND MASK DESIGN SYSTEM - A method, an article of manufacture, and a system for designing a mask. The method for designing a mask is implemented by a computer device having a memory, a processor device communicatively coupled to the memory, and a module configured to carry out the method including the steps of: generating an optical domain representation from a design pattern and an imaging light; and optimizing the optical domain representation under a constraint that values of negative excursions at predetermined evaluation points must be greater than or equal to predetermined negative threshold values assigned to the predetermined evaluation points; where: the optical domain representation is a variable representation of a wavefront; the imaging light is light that is transmitted through the mask; the negative excursions are in an object domain representation of the optical domain representation; and the predetermined evaluation points are in the object domain representation. | 10-03-2013 |
20140268075 | SOURCE, TARGET AND MASK OPTIMIZATION BY INCORPORATING COUNTOUR BASED ASSESSMENTS AND INTEGRATION OVER PROCESS VARIATIONS - Methods and systems for determining a source shape, a mask shape and a target shape for a lithography process are disclosed. One such method includes receiving source, mask and target constraints and formulating an optimization problem that is based on the source, mask and target constraints and incorporates contour-based assessments for the target shape that are based on physical design quality of a circuit. Further, the optimization problem is solved by integrating over process condition variations to simultaneously determine the source shape, the mask shape and the target shape. In addition, the determined source shape and mask shape are output | 09-18-2014 |
20140282291 | SOURCE-MASK OPTIMIZATION FOR A LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS - Systems and methods for optimizing a source shape and a mask shape for a lithography process are disclosed. One such method includes performing a mask optimization for the lithography process in accordance with a set of parameters including at least one variable representation, at least one objective and problem constraints. Further, a light source optimization for the lithography process is performed in accordance with the set of parameters. In addition, a joint light source-mask optimization is performed in accordance with the set of parameters. The method further includes iterating at least one of the mask optimization or the light source optimization by changing at least one of the variable representation, the objective or the problem constraints to maximize a common process window for the lithography process. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120017194 | METHOD FOR FAST ESTIMATION OF LITHOGRAPHIC BINDING PATTERNS IN AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT LAYOUT - The present invention provides a lithographic difficulty metric that is a function of an energy ratio factor that includes a ratio of hard-to-print energy to easy-to-print energy of the diffraction orders along an angular coordinate θ | 01-19-2012 |
20130185045 | ANALYZING A PATTERNING PROCESS USING A MODEL OF YIELD - Techniques are presented that include accessing results of forward simulations of circuit yield, the results including at least circuit yield results including simulated device shapes. Using the circuit yield results, high-level traits of at least the simulated device shapes are determined. Based on the determined high-level traits and using the circuit yield results, a compact model for predicted yield is constructed, the compact model including a plurality of adjustable parameters, and the constructing the compact model for predicted yield including adjusting the adjustable parameters until at least one first predetermined criterion is met. An optimization problem is constructed including at least the compact model for yield, an objective, and a plurality of constraints. Using the optimization problem, the objective is modified subject to the plurality of constraints until at least one second predetermined criterion is met. | 07-18-2013 |
20130185046 | Analyzing A Patterning Process Using A Model Of Yield - Techniques are presented that include accessing results of forward simulations of circuit yield, the results including at least circuit yield results including simulated device shapes. Using the circuit yield results, high-level traits of at least the simulated device shapes are determined. Based on the determined high-level traits and using the circuit yield results, a compact model for predicted yield is constructed, the compact model including a plurality of adjustable parameters, and the constructing the compact model for predicted yield including adjusting the adjustable parameters until at least one first predetermined criterion is met. An optimization problem is constructed including at least the compact model for yield, an objective, and a plurality of constraints. Using the optimization problem, the objective is modified subject to the plurality of constraints until at least one second predetermined criterion is met. | 07-18-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130151520 | INFERRING EMERGING AND EVOLVING TOPICS IN STREAMING TEXT - A method, system and computer program product for inferring topic evolution and emergence in a set of documents. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a group of matrices using text in the documents, and analyzing these matrices to identify a first group of topics as evolving topics and a second group of topics as emerging topics. The matrices includes a first matrix X identifying a multitude of words in each of the documents, a second matrix W identifying a multitude of topics in each of the documents, and a third matrix H identifying a multitude of words for each of the multitude of topics. These matrices are analyzed to identify the evolving and emerging topics. In an embodiment, the documents form a streaming dataset, and two forms of temporal regularizers are used to help identify the evolving topics and the emerging topics in the streaming dataset. | 06-13-2013 |
20130151525 | INFERRING EMERGING AND EVOLVING TOPICS IN STREAMING TEXT - A method, system and computer program product for inferring topic evolution and emergence in a set of documents. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a group of matrices using text in the documents, and analyzing these matrices to identify evolving topics and emerging topics. The matrices includes a matrix X identifying a multitude of words in each of the documents, a matrix W identifying a multitude of topics in each of the documents, and a matrix H identifying a multitude of words for each of the multitude of topics. These matrices are analyzed to identify the evolving and emerging topics. In an embodiment, two forms of temporal regularizers are used to help identify the evolving and emerging topics. In another embodiment, a two stage approach involving detection and clustering is used to help identify the evolving and emerging topics. | 06-13-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080275800 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEBT COLLECTION OPTIMIZATION - The present invention employs data processing systems to handle debt collection by formulation the collections process as a Markov Decision Process with constrained resources, thus making it possible automatically to generate an optimal collections policy with respect to maximizing long-term expected return throughout the course of a collections process, subject to constraints on the available resources possibly in multiple organizations. This is accomplished by coupling data modeling and resource optimization within the constrained Markov Decision Process formulation and generating optimized rules based on constrained reinforcement learning process comprising applied on the basis of past historical data. | 11-06-2008 |
20090204569 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING COMPANIES WITH SPECIFIC BUSINESS OBJECTIVES - A method for identifying companies with specific business objectives that includes using existing sources of company firmographic data to identify a broad set of companies and associated websites, crawling the websites associated with the identified companies and indexing web site content for each of the identified companies with the specific business objective to realize indexed web content. The method further includes joining the company firmographic data with the indexed web content using a business objective common identifier to generate a store of joined structured firmographic data and indexed web content and presenting a display image representation of the store of joined structured firmographic data and indexed web content for user review. The display image further receives user input to score each of said companies identified therein, and using a search interface, querying the store of scored, joined structured firmographic data and indexed web content. The method further includes augmenting the search interface, or search results from a query, with predictive, machine-leaning processes that allow rapid identification of companies possibly missed in the query. | 08-13-2009 |
20090210419 | METHOD AND SYSTEM USING MACHINE LEARNING TO AUTOMATICALLY DISCOVER HOME PAGES ON THE INTERNET - A method for automatically determining an Internet home page corresponding to a named entity identified by a specified descriptor including building a trained machine-learning model, generating candidate matches from the specified descriptor, wherein each candidate match includes an Internet address, extracting content-based features from websites associated with the Internet addresses of the candidate matches, determining a model score for each candidate match based on the content-based features using the trained machine-learning model, and determining a match from among the candidate matches according to the scores, wherein the match is returned as the Internet home page corresponding to the named entity. | 08-20-2009 |
20130018827 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED LABELING OF TEXT DOCUMENTS USING ONTOLOGIESAANM He; JingruiAACI OssiningAAST NYAACO USAAGP He; Jingrui Ossining NY USAANM Lawrence; Richard D.AACI RidgefieldAAST CTAACO USAAGP Lawrence; Richard D. Ridgefield CT USAANM Melville; PremAACI White PlainsAAST NYAACO USAAGP Melville; Prem White Plains NY USAANM Sindhwani; VikasAACI HawthorneAAST NYAACO USAAGP Sindhwani; Vikas Hawthorne NY USAANM Chenthamarakshan; Vijil E.AACI OssiningAAST NYAACO USAAGP Chenthamarakshan; Vijil E. Ossining NY US - A first mapping function automatically maps a plurality of documents each with a concept of ontology to create a documents-to-ontology distribution. An ontology-to-class distribution that maps concepts in the ontology to class labels, respectively, is received, and a classifier is generated that labels a selected document with an associated class identified based on the documents-to-ontology distribution and the ontology-to-class distribution. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018828 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED LABELING OF TEXT DOCUMENTS USING ONTOLOGIES - A first mapping function automatically maps a plurality of documents each with a concept of ontology to create a documents-to-ontology distribution. An ontology-to-class distribution that maps concepts in the ontology to class labels, respectively, is received, and a classifier is generated that labels a selected document with an associated class identified based on the documents-to-ontology distribution and the ontology-to-class distribution. | 01-17-2013 |
20130041860 | PREDICTING INFLUENCE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS - A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for predicting influence in a social network. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying a set of users of the social network, and identifying a subset of the users as influential users based on defined criteria. A multitude of measures are identified as predictors of which ones of the set of users are the influential users. These measures are aggregated, and a composite predictor model is formed based on this aggregation. This composite predictor model is used to predict which ones of the set of users will have a specified influence in the social network in the future. In one embodiment, the specified influence is based on messages sent from the users, and for example, may be based on the number of the messages sent from each user that are re-sent by other users. | 02-14-2013 |