What is OPC (optical proximity correction)?

OPC (optical proximity correction) in the explanations

• OPC uses simulation to anticipate these distortions, adding assist features such as hammerheads and serifs and finely adjusting dimensions on the mask.

  Which correctly describes OPC (optical proximity correction…

• Advanced masks use multi-beam writers with hundreds of thousands of beamlets to write OPC-heavy and curvilinear patterns quickly.

  Which equipment is mainly used to write the patterns of pho…

• In the 1990s k1 was around 0.6, but resolution-enhancement techniques—off-axis illumination, phase-shift masks, OPC—have brought production values down to about 0.27–0.3.

  Which correctly describes the factor k1 in the resolution f…

Questions that mention OPC (optical proximity correction) (8)

1. Which correctly describes OPC (optical proximity correction)?
2. Which equipment is mainly used to write the patterns of photomasks (reticles)?
3. Which correctly describes the factor k1 in the resolution formula R = k1 × λ / NA?
4. What is the range of exposure dose and focus over which pattern dimensions stay within tolerance called?
5. Which technique uses computation to jointly optimize the illumination shape of the exposure tool and the mask pattern to improve resolution?
6. What is the main cause of "flare", a problem in EUV lithography?
7. In EUV masks, what is the phenomenon called in which the absorber pattern's thickness is not negligible compared with the wavelength, so obliquely incident light casts shadows and otherwise affects the image?
8. What are the weak spots in a layout called, which lithography or process simulation predicts are prone to patterns bridging or breaking?

Related terms

Process window Photomask (reticle) Numerical aperture (NA) EUV lithography ArF excimer laser Bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) Chemically amplified resist Depth of focus (DOF) High-NA EUV Immersion lithography