Samsung patents AI method to refine chip mask shapes
Samsung describes a method for improving the accuracy of photomasks used in chip manufacturing. It uses an artificial neural network to calculate how small changes in the mask shape affect the final chip pattern, allowing for precise adjustments.
In the filing’s own words
There is provided an optical proximity correction (OPC) method capable of minimizing an edge placement error (EPE) of a curvilinear full-chip mask and a mask manufacturing method including the OPC method. The OPC method includes obtaining a curvy neural Jacobian model through artificial neural network (ANN) learning using learning data, obtaining a first baseline curvilinear mask and reducing a number of vertices of the first baseline curvilinear mask to convert the first baseline curvilinear mask into a multigon mask, extracting first geometric features from the multigon mask, calculating a Jacobian between the multigon mask and edge placement error (EPE) by using the curvy neural Jacobian model and the first geometric features, and optimizing the multigon mask by using the Jacobian.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An optical proximity correction (OPC) method comprising: obtaining a curvy neural Jacobian model through artificial neural network (ANN) learning using learning data; obtaining a first baseline curvilinear mask for a target mask and reducing a number of vertices of the first baseline curvilinear mask to convert the first baseline curvilinear mask into a multigon mask; extracting first geometric features from the multigon mask; calculating a Jacobian between the multigon mask and edge placement error (EPE) by using the curvy neural Jacobian model and the first geometric features; and optimizing the multigon mask by using the Jacobian.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
- Official title
- OPTICAL PROXIMITY CORRECTION (OPC) METHOD AND MASK MANUFACTURING METHOD INCLUDING THE SAME
- Publication number
- US20260267216A1
- Application number
- 19369781
- Filed
- Oct 27, 2025
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G03F 1/36 Physics & computingG03F 1/70 Physics & computingMore from Samsung in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.