Computing repair hints for litho hotspots is made more effective with a model of how Process Window contour bands changes as a function of design layout changes. We have developed a modeling methodology called pRSM (Partition Response Surface Model). In our approach, we create a family of models along with error bound estimate models. We first classify design layout configurations into a small number of partition categories and then build a RSM model and error bound model for each partition category. In this paper we describe our pRSM methodology and present results illustrating the advantages of our methodology over that of traditional RSM approaches.

A litho hotspot repair hints requires the specifications of how layout edges should be modified. Identifying how layout edges not directly touching the hotspot region is challenging to encode in a rule set. We propose an approach using models called Partition Response Surface Models (pRSM) to estimate the contours changes due to design layout modifications. In this paper we present details of litho hotspot repair hint engine which uses the pRSM models to compute the shape changes amount to resolve a litho hotspot and which can accept constraints from both design considerations or design rule considerations.