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Robust, Computationally Effective,
Automatic Correction Software:

Compensation Choices:
Environment-dependent edge biasing
Line-shortening compensation by line lengthening or hammerheads
Serif generation at exterior corners; un-serifs at interior corners

Illumination and Reticle Choices:
On and off-axis illumination
Conventional and phase-shift masks
Optional sub-resolution features

Data Manipulation Features:
Hierarchical input & output files
Vertex grid snapping to the manufacturing grid
Integrated Boolean layer operators (LayerOps)
Topographic correction using LayerOps

Lithography Process Matching Features:
Match SimRule models to process measurements
Generate correction rule tables from SimRule models
Evaluate models and rule files with edge contour simulation

Speed and Convenience Features:
Feature merging and array building for file compaction
Parallel computing on multi-processor machines
Resume interrupted computations

OPRX lets engineers solve lithography problems that are not easily handled with conventional data handling software. With OPRX every feature edge of a circut layout can have a unique placement bias that is determined by its spatial relation to nearby features. Corner rounding can be corrected with serifs and interior corner rounding can be corrected with un-serifs. OPRX can also generate sub-resolution assist features and slots.

Pattern corrections are performed automatically with correction rules constructed in advance. Rules can be derived from simulation or from experiment. OPRX's rules-driven approach corrects proximity effects from processing as well as lithography--and because it is rule-driven, it is very fast.

OPRX performs layer-to-layer geometric operations including Boolean layer operations and topographic correction. Polygon vertices can be "snapped" to a user specified grid. OPRX integrates seamlessly into the manufacturing data flow.

OPRX enhances productivity. A powerful attribute of OPRX is its ability to maintain data hierarchy. OPRX can actually "discover" hierarchy that was not explicit in the original output. OPRX handles internal data changes without expanding (ie: "flattening") the pattern data. Although optical proximity effect correction creates new polygons and features, OPRX automatically re-merges them where possible. The result is short run times and modest file sizes.

SimRule is the connection between your lithography process and OPRX. SimRule converts your process measurements to a process model. The model is used to generate the correction rule tables used by OPRX. The SimRule model can also be used to simulate edge contours of critical areas before and after correction.

Where quick turn-around is a premium, OPRX can effectively split its work among all the processors on multi-processor machines. Even with a tool as fast as OPRX, some computations can be of extended duration. If a computation is interrupted for any reason, the work performed so far is not lost. OPRX can resume from where it was interrupted!