Design Rules for Real Patterns

* [email protected] Abstract The purpose of this paper is to name and discuss some of the most basic issues in today’s optical microlithography, promoting industry consensus and, specifically, definition of the industry standard Patterning Design Rules (PDR), that is, Design Rules for “patterns as built”. Dimensional metrology for seamless PDR compliance is discussed, highlighting the issues at design hand-off from CAD to pre-tapeout validation and from validation in software to validation on wafers. Some of the gaps in validating the accuracy of patterning models used at design and pre-TO validation are identified, along with a proposal of how to bridge them. It is expected that, as our industry migrates from CAD based DR definitions to PDRs that reflect realities of microlithography at low k1, a complete selfconsistent dimensional metrology infrastructure [1] will eventually be built. This is what will hold together compliance at design and on wafers, with model based WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) design and process integration environment of the future.