High-Speed Convolution System For Real-Time Proximity Effect Correction

In order to realize a real-time proximity effect correction system, a high-speed, highly accurate hardware system for convolution calculation has been developed. The representative figure method is used in the system. Pipeline architecture and parallel processing architecture are also used. The calculation speed of the system is 500 s for a writing region of 10 ×10 cm. The optimum correction dose has been evaluated using the output data of the convolution system. The error in the correction dose caused by our system is found to be 0.5% at most. These results suggest that a real-time proximity effect correction system can be realized, which can be used for making reticles of Gbit-class dynamic ramdom access memories (DRAMs).