Tapeout-to-Mask

Our tapeout-to-mask flow is consistent and flexible because…

• All our tools are built on the Calibre® hierarchical geometry engine
• We use OASIS as the underlying database format
• We employ a unified command language across all our tools

This makes it easier for you to rapidly build a fully-integrated tapeout-to-mask flow, and lets you tune the flow for the fastest turnaround time (TAT) and highest throughput.

Tapeout-to-Mask Solution Summary

Mentor’s tapeout-to-mask solution gives you a full complement of third-generation resolution enhancement (RET) and mask fabrication tools for all process nodes:

• Mask synthesis
• Resolution enhancement
  • Scattering bars
  • Phase shift mask assignment
  • Double patterning (LELE)
  • DDL decomposition
• Optical proximity correction (OPC)
• OPC verification
• Mask optical proximity correction (MPC)
• Mask manufacturability assessment
• Mask fracturing in Micronic, JEOL, MEBES, Toshiba and Hitachi formats
• Process model and tool setup workbench
• Mask viewing and merging utilities
• Simulated silicon print image utility

Virtual Manufacturing Ensures Success

Calibre gives you a virtual manufacturing environment that simulates the lithography process for each mask layer to determine pattern transfer accuracy before manufacturing. By assessing manufacturability during mask-making, you can reduce TAT and re-spins, while ensuring the highest quality results on all popular mask writers. Our full-chip, grid-based simulation catches unwanted printing features that sparse simulation cannot detect, such as side lobes and printing sbars. Easy-to-use viewing tools allow you to quickly assess any problem areas.

Scalability for Fast Turnaround for Any Size Design

All Calibre tools take advantage of design hierarchy to improve TAT, computational efficiency, and throughput, as compared to flat processing tools. Calibre is highly scalable, so TAT depends only on available hardware. You can take advantage of any number of standard multi-threaded x86 platforms, and you can add co-processor acceleration using the most advanced multicore processors for high performance and low cost of operation.

Integrated Flow All the Way Through Mask Fabrication

Our Mask Data Preparation (MDP) tools are fully compatible with the Calibre platform, enabling you to complete all resolution enhancement processing and mask data format conversions in one batch run. Calibre MDP provides:

• Layer derivation
• Mirroring
• Scaling
• Rotation
• Planarization fill
• Global and selective sizing
• Hierarchical mask rule checking (MRC)
• Mask proximity correction (MPC).

We provide output for the predominant mask writer formats in the sub-wavelength era (such as MEBES and Variable-Shaped-Beam), as well as GDSII.

Learn More

Find out more about how Calibre IC Manufacturing solutions can speed up your development cycle while improving results and lowering costs.