Mentor Graphics, Applied Materials deploy OASIS.MASK open data standard for higher efficiency mask manufacturing

WILSONVILLE & SANTA CLARA, USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. and Applied Materials Inc. announced an important milestone in the adoption of open data formats for mask manufacturing. The first volume production deployment of the new OASIS.MASK (SEMI standard P44) format was performed on Applied’s Aera2 advanced mask inspection systems using Mentor Graphics’ mask data preparation software technology.

The new format greatly simplifies the task of creating the complex, high fidelity photomasks that are vital to fabricating semiconductor devices at 32nm and below technology nodes.

OASIS.MASK (Open Artwork System Interchange Standard for Photomasks) is an open standard interchange format used to represent and express chip level physical and mask layout data.

The OASIS.MASK format reduces the size of mask data files by approximately one-half, eliminating the file transfer bottleneck between software tools and mask manufacturing equipment –- a key benefit with today’s near-terabyte file sizes. As an open interface, it enables the same data file to be used for pattern generation, metrology and inspection, simplifying mask manufacturing process flows by eliminating complex format conversion steps.

“We are working with Mentor Graphics, a leader in the adoption of OASIS standards, to improve efficiency up and down the mask-making value chain by encouraging the adoption of open standards,” said Tom St. Dennis, senior vice president and general manager of Applied’s Silicon Systems Group.

“By incorporating the OASIS.MASK format in our Aera2 systems, we can continue to provide the most competitive, high throughput, die-to-database inspection solutions for our most advanced customers.”

“Applied Materials’ decision to implement OASIS.MASK in their products shows the value of OASIS mask data format,” said Joseph Sawicki, vice president and general manager for the Design-to-Silicon division at Mentor Graphics.

“Mentor’s experience with OASIS goes back to the development of the original OASIS format (SEMI standard P39), so incorporating our technology into Aera2 was a logical extension of our product efforts. The use of OASIS.MASK for mask manufacturing is fully supported by the Calibre platform in the Calibre FRACTUREv, Calibre MDPverify, and Calibre MDPview products, which are all available today.”

Applied and Mentor will showcase their pioneering deployment of OASIS.MASK in a production environment at SPIE Photomask 2009, the mask-making industry’s premier technical symposium, to be held September 14-17 in Monterey, California.