The new tool does not need additional work on the OPC models and recipes so that adoption is simplified.
NanoScope Pattern-Based OPC Accelerator (POA) was developed in collaboration with the company’s customers and is a natural application extension of company’s NanoScope pattern-centric platform. On a pattern-by-pattern basis, NanoScope POA extracts OPC from the existing post-OPC data generated by customers’ existing OPC tools and saves them in pattern library. When there is a pattern match, OPC of pattern is quickly retrieved from library and installed in the new designs. Therefore, OPC accuracy is guaranteed by input post-OPC samples. There are no additional OPC models and recipes required for using this tool. The OPC pattern library can be built up incrementally. The more complete the OPC pattern library, more performance gain is recognized.
NanoScope POA is an important cost and time saving tool for the model-based OPC. The tool offers users at least 10 times the performance gain for the logic designs over conventional OPC flow. More significant performance gains (at least 100 times) are anticipated for designs with highly repeated cells and the patterns, like memory designs.
“By adopting NanoScope™ POA, high volume production users can easily cut their existing OPC tool usage by 50% or more,” said Chenmin Hu, chief executive officer of Anchor Semiconductor. “We are seeing a growing problem where OPC users at every new technology node must double OPC tool licenses and CPU numbers in order to complete one layer of OPC generation within a few days.”
Switching tool vendors can be costly since the OPC tool qualification can take much time and effort to fully complete. NanoScope POA accelerates process by pattern based OPC reuse which does not need additional work on models and recipes, the most time consuming areas of the OPC tool qualification.
Additionally to performance acceleration and the lower cost of ownership, NanoScope POA enhances model-based OPC correction quality. The tool produces more consistent OPC results when compared to the conventional model-based flow. It guarantees that same patterns have the same OPC corrections regardless of the pattern or cell orientation that overcomes OPC convergence issues and makes a tight CD budget easily achievable.
“NanoScope™ POA has undergone rigorous testing at our customer sites for multiple full chip designs and is ready for adoption in the global market for customers pursuing cost savings and performance improvement of their existing model based OPC flow,” said Chenmin Hu.
