Compaction device for mask pattern data of semiconductor integrated circuit

TLDR: In this article, the compression with high density by detecting whether a mask pattern is equipotential or not by analyzing the potential between mask patterns is investigated. But, the minimum allowable interval value is not taken into consideration.

Abstract: PURPOSE:To execute the compression with high density by detecting whether a mask pattern is equipotential or not by executing equipotential tracking and compressing a part between equipotential patterns so as to bring them as close as possible to each other without taking the minimum allowable interval into consideration. CONSTITUTION:Operations of a drawing input means 1, a group dividing means 2, a group interval determining means 4, and a drawing output means 5 are executed in the same way as an operation in a conventional device. In this state, an equipotential tracking means 6 executes equipotential tracking, and checks up whether the potential between mask patterns is equipotential or not. This processing part is processed before a constraint graph is generated by a constraint graph generating means 3, and a part between equipotential mask patterns is brought to compaction so as to bring them as close as possible to each other without considering the minimum allowable interval value designated by a pattern design rule. In such a way, mask pattern data which has been inputted is compressed with higher density, and it is facilitated to design a semiconductor integrated circuit with higher density.